The Gorilla Hunters

R.M. Ballantine

Author(s)

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894): Scottish writer of fiction, was
born in Edinborough to a family of famous printers and publishers. At he
went to Canada and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company for six years. He
returned to Scotland in 1847, and in 1848 published his first book, Hudson's
Bay: or, Life in the Wilds of North America. We worked for the publishers
Messrs Constable, but in 1856 turned full time to writing, beginning a
series of tales of adventure for the young with which his name is popularly
associated. The Young Fur-Traders (1856), The Coral Island
(1857), The World of Ice (1859), Ungava: a Tale of Eskimo Land
(1857), The Dog Crusoe (1860), and close to 100 other books, being
written, as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.
Ballantyne was also an artist, and exhibited some of his water-colours
at the Royal Scottish Academy. He lived in later years at Harrow, and died
on the 8th of February 1894, in Rome, where he had gone to attempt to shake
off the results of overwork. He wrote a volume of Personal Reminiscences
of Book-making (1893).
From online 11th ed. of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Link to Tarzan of the Apes

Hunting of gorillas, accounts of adventure in Africa

Kasson, John F. 2001. "Still a Wild Beast at Heart." p. 157-218. In: Houdini,
Tarzan and the Perfect Man. The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity
in America. New York: Hill and Wang, viii + 256 pp.

The Gorilla Hunters

It was five o'clock in the afternoon. There can be no doubt whatever as
to that. Old Agnes may say what she pleases ---she has a habit of doing
so ---but I know for certain (because I looked at my watch not ten minutes
before it happened) that it was exactly five o'clock in the afternoon when
I received a most singular and every way remarkable visit ---a visit which
has left an indelible impression on my memory, as well it might; for, independent
of its singularity and unexpectedness, one of its results was the series
of strange adventures which are faithfully detailed in this volume.

It happened thus: ---

I was seated in an armchair in my private study in a small town on the
west coast of England. It was a splendid afternoon, and it was exactly
five o'clock. Mark that. Not that there is anything singular about the
mere fact, neither is it in any way mixed up with the thread of this tale;
but old Agnes is very obstinate ---singularly positive ---and I have a
special desire that she should see it in print, that I have not given in
on that point. Yes, it was five precisely, and a beautiful evening. I was
ruminating, as I frequently do, on the pleasant memories of bygone days,
especially the happy days that I spent long ago among the coral islands
of the Pacific, when a tap at the door aroused me.

"Ay! that's like 'ee. Cares for naethin'. Losh, man, what if he cuts
yer throat?"

"I'll take my chance of that too; only do show him in, my good
woman," said I, with a gesture of impatience that caused the excellent
(though obstinate) old creature to depart, grumbling.

In another moment a quick step was heard on the stair, and a stranger
burst into the room, shut the door in my landlady's face as she followed
him, and locked it.

I was naturally surprised, though not alarmed, by the abrupt and eccentric
conduct of my visitor, who did not condescend to take off his hat, but
stood with his arms folded on his breast, gazing at me and breathing hard.

"You are agitated, sir; pray be seated," said I, pointing to a chair.

The stranger, who was a little man and evidently a gentleman, made no
reply, but, seizing a chair, placed it exactly before me, sat down on it
as he would have seated himself on a horse, rested his arms on the back,
and stared me in the face.

"You are disposed to be facetious," said I, smiling (for I never take
offence without excessively good reason).

"Not at all, by no means," said he, taking off his hat and throwing
it recklessly on the floor. "You are Mr. Rover, I presume?"

"What!" cried the little stranger, also starting up and capsizing the
chair; "Ralph Rover, has time and sunburning and war so changed my visage
that you cannot recognise Peterkin?"

I almost gasped for breath.

"Peterkin ---Peterkin Gay!" I exclaimed.

I am not prone to indulge in effeminate demonstration, but I am not
ashamed to confess that when I gazed on the weather-beaten though ruddy
countenance of my old companion, and observed the eager glance of his bright
blue eyes, I was quite overcome, and rushed violently into his arms. I
may also add that until that day I had had no idea of Peterkin's physical
strength; for during the next five minutes he twisted me about and spun
me round and round my own room until my brain began to reel, and I was
fain to cry him mercy.

"So, you're all right ---the same jolly, young old wiseacre in whiskers
and long coat," cried Peterkin. "Come now, Ralph, sit down if you can.
I mean to stay with you all evening, and all night, and all to-morrow,
and all next day, so we'll have lots of time to fight our battles o'er
again. Meanwhile compose yourself, and I'll tell you what I've come about.
Of course, my first and chief reason was to see your face, old boy; but
I have another reason too ---a very peculiar reason. I've a proposal to
make and a plan to unfold, both of 'em stunners; they'll shut you up and
screw you down, and altogether flabbergast you when you hear 'em, so sit
down and keep quiet ---do."

I sat down accordingly, and tried to compose myself; but, to say truth,
I was so much overjoyed and excited by the sight of my old friend and companion
that I had some difficulty at first in fixing my attention on what he said,
the more especially that he spoke with extreme volubility, and interrupted
his discourse very frequently, in order to ask questions or to explain.

"Now, old fellow," he began, "here goes, and mind you don't interrupt
me. Well, I mean to go, and I mean you to go with me, to ---but, I forgot,
perhaps you won't be able to go. What are you?"

"What am I?"

"Ay, your profession, your calling; lawyer, MD, scrivener ---which?"

"I am a naturalist."

"A what?"

"A naturalist."

"Ralph," said Peterkin slowly, "have you been long troubled with that
complaint?"

"Yes," I replied, laughing; "I have suffered from it from my earliest
infancy, more or less."

"I thought so," rejoined my companion, shaking his head gravely. "I
fancied that I observed the development of that disease when we lived together
on the coral island. It don't bring you in many thousands a year, does
it?"

"No," said I, "it does not. I am only an amateur, having a sufficiency
of this world's goods to live on without working for my bread. But although
my dear father at his death left me a small fortune, which yields me three
hundred a year, I do not feel entitled to lead the life of an idler in
this busy world, where so many are obliged to toil night and day for the
bare necessaries of life. I have therefore taken to my favourite studies
as a sort of business, and flatter myself that I have made one or two not
unimportant discoveries, and added a few mites to the sum of human knowledge.
A good deal of my time is spent in scientific roving expeditions throughout
the country, and in contributing papers to several magazines."

While I was thus speaking I observed that Peterkin's face was undergoing
the most remarkable series of changes of expression, which, as I concluded,
merged into a smile of beaming delight, as he said, ---"Ralph, you're a
trump!"

"Possibly," said I, "you are right; but, setting that question aside
for the present, let me remind you that you have not yet told me where
you mean to go to."

"I mean," said Peterkin slowly, placing both hands on his knees and
looking me steadily in the face ---"I mean to go a-hunting in ---but I
forgot. You don't know that I'm a hunter, a somewhat famous hunter?"

"Of course I don't. You are so full of your plans and proposals that
you have not yet told me where you have been or what doing these six years.
And you ye never written to me once all that time, shabby fellow. I thought
you were dead."

"Did you go into mourning for me, Ralph?"

"No, of course not."

"A pretty fellow you are to find fault. You thought that I, your oldest
and best friend, was dead, and you did not go into mourning. How could
I write to you when you parted from me without giving me your address?
It was a mere chance my finding you out even now. I was taking a quiet
cup of coffee in the commercial room of a hotel not far distant, when I
overheard a stranger speaking of his friend 'Ralph Rover, the philosopher,'
so I plunged at him promiscuously, and made him give me your address. But
I've corresponded with Jack ever since we parted on the pier at Dover."

"What! Jack ---Jack Martin?" I exclaimed, as a warm gush of feeling
filled my heart at the sound of his well-remembered name. "Is Jack alive?"

"Alive! I should think so. If possible, he's more alive than ever; for
I should suppose he must be full-grown now, which he was not when we last
met. He and I have corresponded regularly. He lives in the north of England,
and by good luck happens to be just now within thirty miles of this town.
You don't mean to say, Ralph, that you have never met!"

"Never. The very same mistake that happened with you occurred between
him and me. We parted vowing to correspond as long as we should live, and
three hours after I remembered that we had neglected to exchange our addresses,
so that we could not correspond. I have often, often made inquiries both
for you and him, but have always failed. I never heard of Jack from the
time we parted at Dover till to-day."

"Then no doubt you thought us both dead, and yet you did not go into
mourning for either of us! O Ralph, Ralph, I had entertained too good an
opinion of you."

"But tell me about Jack," said I, impatient to hear more concerning
my dear old comrade.

"Not just now, my boy; more of him in a few minutes. First let us return
to the point. What was it? Oh! a ---about my being a celebrated hunter.
A very Nimrod ---at least a miniature copy. Well, Ralph, since we last
met I have been all over the world, right round and round it. I'm a lieutenant
in the navy now ---at least I was a week ago. I've been fighting with the
Kaffirs and the Chinamen, and been punishing the rascally sepoys in India,
and been hunting elephants in Ceylon and tiger-shooting in the jungles,
and harpooning whales in the polar seas, and shooting lions at the Cape;
oh, you've no notion where all I've been. It's a perfect marvel I've turned
up here alive. But there's one beast I've not yet seen, and I'm resolved
to see him and shoot him too ---"

"But," said I, interrupting, "what mean you by saying that you were
a lieutenant in the navy a week ago?"

"I mean that I've given it up. I'm tired of the sea. I only value it
as a means of getting from one country to another. The land, the land for
me! You must know that an old uncle, a rich old uncle of mine, whom I never
saw, died lately and left me his whole fortune. Of course he died in India.
All old uncles who die suddenly and leave unexpected fortunes to unsuspecting
nephews are old Indian uncles, and mine was no exception to the general
rule. So I'm independent, like you, Ralph, only I've got three or four
thousand a year instead of hundreds, I believe; but I'm not sure and don't
care ---and I'm determined now to go on a long hunting expedition. What
think ye of all that, my boy?"

"In truth," said I, "it would puzzle me to say what I think, I am so
filled with surprise by all you tell me. But you forget that you have not
yet told me to which part of the world you mean to go, and what sort of
beast it is you are so determined to see and shoot if you can."

"If I can!" echoed Peterkin, with a contemptuous curl of the lip. "Did
not I tell you that I was a celebrated hunter? Without meaning to
boast, I may tell you that there is no peradventure in my shooting. If
I only get there and see the brute within long range, I'll ---ha! won't
I!"

"Get where, and see what?"

"Get to Africa and see the gorilla!" cried Peterkin, while a glow of
enthusiasm lighted up his eyes. "You've heard of the gorilla, Ralph, of
course ---the great ape ---the enormous puggy ---the huge baboon ---the
man monkey, that we've been hearing so much of for some years back, and
that the niggers on the African coast used to dilate about till they caused
the very hair of my head to stand upon end? I'm determined to shoot a gorilla,
or prove him to be a myth. And I mean you to come and help me, Ralph; he's
quite in your way. A bit of natural history, I suppose, although he seems
by all accounts to be a very unnatural monster. And Jack shall go too ---I'm
resolved on that; and we three shall roam the wild woods again, as we did
in days of yore, and ---"

"Hold, Peterkin," said I, interrupting. "How do you know that Jack will
go?"

"How do I know? Intuitively, of course. I shall write to him to-night;
the post does not leave till ten. He'll get it to-morrow at breakfast,
and will catch the forenoon coach, which will bring him down here by two
o'clock, and then we'll begin our preparations at once, and talk the matter
over at dinner. So you see it's all cut and dry. Give me a sheet of paper
and I'll write at once. Ah! here's a bit; now a pen. Bless me, Ralph, haven't
you got a quill? Who ever heard of a philosophical naturalist writing with
steel. Now, then, here goes: --- 'B'luv'd Jack,' ---will that do to begin
with, eh? I'm afraid it's too affectionate; he'll think it's from a lady
friend. But it can't be altered, ---'Here I am, and here's Ralph ---Ralph
Rover!!!!!! think of that' (I say, Ralph, I've put six marks of admiration
there); 'I've found him out. Do come to see us. Excruciatingly important
business. Ever thine ---Peterkin Gay.' Will that bring him, d'ye think?"

"I think it will," said I, laughing.

"Then off with it, Ralph," cried my volatile friend, jumping up and
looking hastily round for the bell-rope. Not being able to find it, my
bell-pull being an unobtrusive knob and not a rope, he rushed to the door,
unlocked it, darted out, and uttered a tremendous roar, which was followed
by a clatter and a scream from old Agnes, whom he had upset and tumbled
over.

It was curious to note the sudden change that took place in Peterkin's
face, voice, and manner, as he lifted the poor old woman, who was very
thin and light, in his arms, and carrying her into the room, placed her
in my easy-chair. Real anxiety was depicted in his countenance, and he
set her down with a degree of care and tenderness that quite amazed me.
I was myself very much alarmed at first.

The manner and tone in which this was said convinced me that old Agnes
was more frightened than injured. In a few minutes the soothing tones and
kind manner of my friend had such an effect upon her that she declared
she was better, and believed after all that she was only a "wee bit frichtened."
Nay, so completely was she conciliated, that she insisted on conveying
the note to the post-office, despite Peterkin's assurance that he would
not hear of it. Finally she hobbled out of the room with the letter in
her hand.

It is interesting to note how that, in most of the affairs of humanity,
things turn out very different, often totally different, from what we had
expected or imagined. During the remainder of that evening Peterkin and
I talked frequently and much of our old friend Jack Martin. We recalled
his manly yet youthful countenance, his bold, lion-like courage, his broad
shoulders and winning gentle smile, and although we knew that six years
must have made an immense difference in his personal appearance ---for
he was not much more than eighteen when we last parted ---we could not
think of him except as a hearty, strapping sailor-boy. We planned, too,
how we would meet him at the coach; how we would stand aside in the crowd
until he began to look about for us in surprise, and then one of us would
step forward and ask if he wished to be directed to any particular part
of the town, and so lead him on and talk to him as a stranger for some
time before revealing who we were. And much more to the same effect. But
when next day came our plans and our conceptions were utterly upset.

A little before two we sauntered down to the coach-office, and waited
impatiently for nearly twenty minutes. Of course the coach was late; it
always is on such occasions.

"Suppose he does not come," said I.

"What a fellow you are," cried Peterkin, "to make uncomfortable suppositions!
Let us rather suppose that he does come."

"Oh, then, it would be all right; but if he does not come, what then?"

"Why, then, it would be all wrong, and we should have to return home
and eat our dinner in the sulks, that's all."

As my companion spoke we observed the coach come sweeping round the
turn of the road about half a mile distant. In a few seconds it dashed
into the town at full gallop, and finally drew up abruptly opposite the
door of the inn, where were assembled the usual group of hostlers and waiters
and people who expected friends by the coach.

"He's not there," whispered Peterkin, in deep disappointment ---"at
least he's not on the outside, and Jack would never travel inside of a
coach even in bad weather, much less in fine. That's not him on the back-seat
beside the fat old woman with the blue bundle, surely! It's very like him,
but too young, much too young. There's a great giant of a man on the box-seat
with a beard like a grenadier's shako, and a stout old gentleman behind
him with gold spectacles. That's all, except two boys farther aft, and
three ladies in the cabin. Oh, what a bore!"

Although deeply disappointed at the non-arrival of Jack, I could with
difficulty refrain from smiling at the rueful and woe-begone countenance
of my poor companion. It was evident that he could not bear disappointment
with equanimity, and I was on the point of offering some consolatory remarks,
when my attention was attracted by the little old woman with the blue bundle,
who went up to the gigantic man with the black beard, and in the gentlest
possible tone of voice asked if he could direct her to the white house.

"No, madam," replied the big man hastily; "I'm a stranger here."

The little old woman was startled by his abrupt answer. "Deary me, sir,
no offence, I hope."

She then turned to Peterkin and put the same question, possibly under
a vague sort of impression that if a gigantic frame betokened a gruff nature,
diminutive stature must necessarily imply extreme amiability. If so, she
must have been much surprised as well as disappointed, for Peterkin, rendered
irascible by disappointment, turned short round and said sharply, "Why,
madam, how can I tell you where the white house is, unless you say
which white house you want? Half the houses of the town are white ---at
least they're dirty white," he added bitterly, as he turned away.

"I think I can direct you, ma'am," said I, stepping quickly up with
a bland smile, in order to counteract, if possible, my companion's rudeness.

"Thank you, sir, kindly," said the little old woman; "I'm glad to find
some
little civility in the town."

"Come with me, ma'am; I am going past the white house, and will show
you the way."

"And pray, sir," said the big stranger, stepping up to me as I was about
to move away, "can you recommend me to a good hotel?"

I replied that I could; that there was one in the immediate vicinity
of the white house, and that if he would accompany me I would show him
the way. All this I did purposely in a very affable and obliging tone and
manner; for I hold that example is infinitely better than precept, and
always endeavour, if possible, to overcome evil with good. I offered my
arm to the old woman, who thanked me and took it.

"What!" whispered Peterkin, "you don't mean me to take this great ugly
gorilla in tow?"

"Of course," replied I, laughing, as I led the way.

Immediately I entered into conversation with my companion, and I heard
"the gorilla" attempt to do so with Peterkin; but from the few sharp cross
replies that reached my ear, I became aware that he was unsuccessful. In
the course of a few minutes, however, he appeared to have overcome his
companion's ill-humour, for I overheard their voices growing louder and
more animated as they walked behind me.

Suddenly I heard a shout, and turning hastily round, observed Peterkin
struggling in the arms of the gorilla! Amazed beyond measure at the sight,
and firmly persuaded that a cowardly assault had been made upon my friend,
I seized the old woman's umbrella, as the only available weapon, and flew
to the rescue.

I know not what occurred during the next five minutes. All I could remember
with anything like distinctness was a succession of violent screams from
the little old woman, who fled shouting thieves and murder at the full
pitch of her voice. We never saw that old woman again, but I made a point
of returning her umbrella to the "white house."

Gradually we became collected and sane.

"Why, Jack, how did you find us out?" cried Peterkin, as we all hurried
on to my lodgings, totally forgetful of the little old woman, whom, as
I have said, we never saw again, but who, I sincerely trust, arrived at
the white house in safety.

"Find you out! I knew you the moment I set eyes on you. Ralph puzzled
me for a second, he has grown so much stouter; but I should know your nose,
Peterkin, at a mile off."

"Well, Jack, I did not know you," retorted Peterkin, "but I'm safe never
again to forget you. Such a great hairy Cossack as you have become! Why,
what do you mean by it?"

Jack had indeed grown to a size that men seldom attain to without losing
in grace infinitely more than they gain in bulk, but he had retained all
the elegance of form and sturdy vigour of action that had characterised
him as a boy. He was fully six feet two inches in his stockings, but so
perfect were his proportions that his great height did not become apparent
until you came close up to him. Full half of his handsome manly face was
hid by a bushy black beard and moustache, and his curly hair had been allowed
to grow luxuriantly, so that his whole aspect was more like to the descriptions
we have of one of the old Scandinavian Vikings than a gentleman of the
present time. In whatever company he chanced to be he towered high above
every one else, and I am satisfied that, had he walked down Whitechapel,
the Horse Guards would have appeared small beside him, for he possessed
not only great length of limb but immense breadth of chest and shoulders.

During our walk to my lodgings Peterkin hurriedly stated his "plan and
proposal," which caused Jack to laugh very much at first, but in a few
minutes he became grave, and said slowly, "That will just suit ---it will
do exactly."

"What will do exactly? Do be more explicit, man," said Peterkin, with
some impatience.

"I'll go with you, my boy."

"Will you?" cried Peterkin, seizing his hand and shaking it violently;
"I knew you would. I said it; didn't I, Ralph? And now we shall be sure
of a gorilla, if there's one in Africa, for I'll use you as a stalking-horse."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Jack.

"Yes; I'll put a bear-skin or some sort of fur on your shoulders, and
tie a lady's boa to you for a tail, and send you into the woods. The gorillas
will be sure to mistake you for a relative until you get quite close; then
you'll take one pace to the left with the left foot (as the volunteers
say), I'll take one to the front with the right ---at fifty yards, ready
---present ---bang, and down goes the huge puggy with a bullet right between
its two eyes! There. And Ralph's agreed to go too."

"O Peterkin, I've done nothing of the sort. You proposed it."

"Well, and isn't that the same thing? I wonder, Ralph that you can give
way to such mean-spirited prevarication. What? 'It's not prevarication!'
Don't say that now; you know it is. Ah! you may laugh, my boy, but you
have promised to go with me and Jack to Africa, and go you shall."

And so, reader, it was ultimately settled, and in the course of two
weeks more we three were on our way to the land of the slave, the black
savage, and the gorilla.

One night, about five or six weeks after our resolution to go to Africa
on a hunting expedition was formed, I put to myself the question, "Can
it be possible that we are actually here, in the midst of it?"

"Certainly, my boy, in the very thick of it," answered Peterkin, in
a tone of voice which made Jack laugh, while I started and exclaimed, ---

"Why, Peterkin, how did you come to guess my thoughts?"

"Because, Ralph, you have got into a habit of thinking aloud, which
may do very well as long as you have no secrets to keep but it may prove
inconvenient some day, so I warn you in time."

Not feeling disposed at that time to enter into a bantering conversation
with my volatile companion, I made no reply, but abandoned myself again
to the pleasing fancies and feelings which were called up by the singular
scene in the midst of which I found myself.

It seemed as if it were but yesterday when we drove about the crowded
streets of London making the necessary purchases for our intended journey,
and now, as I gazed around, every object that met my eye seemed strange,
and wild, and foreign, and romantic. We three were reclining round an enormous
wood fire in the midst of a great forest, the trees and plants of which
were quite new to me, and totally unlike those of my native land. Rich
luxuriance of vegetation was the feature that filled my mind most. Tall
palms surrounded us, throwing their broad leaves overhead and partially
concealing the starlit sky. Thick tough limbs of creeping plants and wild
vines twisted and twined round everything and over everything, giving to
the woods an appearance of tangled impenetrability; but the beautiful leaves
of some, and the delicate tendrils of others, half concealed the sturdy
limbs of the trees, and threw over the whole a certain air of wild grace,
as might a semi-transparent and beautiful robe if thrown around the form
of a savage.

The effect of a strong fire in the woods at night is to give to surrounding
space an appearance of ebony blackness, against which dark ground the gnarled
stems and branches and pendent foliage appear as if traced out in light
and lovely colours, which are suffused with a rich warm tone from the blaze.

We were now in the wilds of Africa, although, as I have said, I found
it difficult to believe the fact. Jack and I wore loose brown shooting
coats and pantaloons; but we had made up our minds to give up waistcoats
and neckcloths, so that our scarlet flannel shirts with turned-down collars
gave to us quite a picturesque and brigand-like appearance as we encircled
the blaze ---Peterkin smoking vigorously, for he had acquired that bad
and very absurd habit at sea. Jack smoked too, but he was not so inveterate
as Peterkin.

Jack was essentially moderate in his nature. He did nothing violently
or in a hurry; but this does not imply that he was slow or lazy. He was
leisurely in disposition, and circumstances seldom required him to be otherwise.
When Peterkin or I had to lift heavy weights, we were obliged to exert
our utmost strength and agitate our whole frames; but Jack was so powerful
that a comparatively slight effort was all that he was usually obliged
to make. Again, when we two were in a hurry we walked quickly, but Jack's
long limbs enabled him to keep up with us without effort. Nevertheless
there were times when he was called upon to act quickly and with energy.
On those occasions he was as active as Peterkin himself, but his movements
were tremendous. It was, I may almost say, awful to behold Jack when acting
under powerful excitement. He was indeed a splendid fellow, and not by
any means deserving of the name of gorilla, which Peterkin had bestowed
on him.

But to continue my description of our costume. We all wore homespun
grey trousers of strong material. Peterkin and Jack wore leggings in addition,
so that they seemed to have on what are now termed knickerbockers. Peterkin,
however, had no coat. He preferred a stout grey flannel shirt hanging down
to his knees and belted round his waist in the form of a tunic. Our tastes
in headdress were varied. Jack wore a pork-pie cap; Peterkin and I had
wide-awakes. My facetious little companion said that I had selected this
species of hat because I was always more than half asleep! Being peculiar
in everything, Peterkin wore his wide-awake in an unusual manner ---namely,
turned up at the back, down at the front, and curled very much up at the
sides.

We were so filled with admiration of Jack's magnificent beard and moustache,
that Peterkin and I had resolved to cultivate ours while in Africa; but
I must say that, as I looked at Peterkin's face, the additional hair was
not at that time an improvement, and I believe that much more could not
have been said for myself. The effect on my little comrade was to cause
the lower part of his otherwise good-looking face to appear extremely dirty.

"I wonder," said Peterkin, after a long silence, "if we shall reach
the niggers' village in time for the hunt to-morrow. I fear that we have
spent too much time in this wild-goose chase."

"Wild-goose chase, Peterkin!" I exclaimed. "Do you call hunting the
gorilla by such a term?"

"Hunting the gorilla? no, certainly; but looking for the
gorilla in a part of the woods where no such beast was ever heard of since
Adam was a schoolboy ---"

"Nay, Peterkin," interrupted Jack; "we are getting very near to the
gorilla country, and you must make allowance for the enthusiasm of a naturalist."

"Ah! we shall see where the naturalist's enthusiasm will fly to when
we actually do come face to face with the big puggy."

"Press me, my dear Ralph!" exclaimed Peterkin hastily, fearing that
he had hurt my feelings; "why, man, I do but jest with you ---you are so
horridly literal. I'm overjoyed to be pressed to go on the maddest wild-goose
chase that ever was invented. My greatest delight would be to go gorilla-hunting
down Fleet Street, if you were so disposed. ---But to be serious, Jack,
do you think we shall be in time for the elephant-hunt to-morrow?"

"Ay, in capital time, if you don't knock up."

"What! I knock up! I've a good mind to knock you down for suggesting
such an egregious impossibility."

"That's an impossibility anyhow, Peterkin, because I'm down already,"
said Jack, yawning lazily and stretching out his limbs in a more comfortable
and dégagé manner.

Peterkin seemed to ponder as he smoked his pipe for some time in silence.

"Then it must be the monkey. That's it. Roast monkey does not agree
with you."

"Do you know, I shouldn't wonder if you were right; and it's a pity,
too, for we shall have to live a good deal on such fare, I believe. However,
I suppose we shall get used to it. ---But I say, boys, isn't it jolly to
be out here living like savages? I declare it seems to me like a dream
or a romance. ---Just look, Ralph, at the strange wild creepers that are
festooned overhead, and the great tropical leaves behind us, and the clear
sky above, with the moon ---ah! the moon; yes, that's one comfort ---the
moon is unchanged. The same moon that smiles down upon us through a tangled
mesh-work of palm-leaves and wild vines and monkeys' tails, is peeping
down the chimney-pots of London and Edinburgh and Dublin!"

"Why, Peterkin, you must have studied hard in early life to be so good
a geographer."

"Rather," observed Peterkin.

"Yes; and look at the strange character of the tree-stems," said I,
unwilling to allow the subject to drop. "See those huge palmettoes like
---like ---"

"Overgrown cabbages," suggested Peterkin; and he continued, "Observe
the quaint originality of form in the body and limbs of that bloated old
spider that is crawling up your leg, Ralph!"

I started involuntarily, for there is no creature of which I have a
greater abhorrence than a spider.

"Where is it? oh! I see," and the next moment I secured my prize and
placed it with loathing, but interest, in my entomological box.

At that moment a hideous roar rang through the woods, seemingly close
behind us. We all started to our feet, and seizing our rifles, which lay
beside us ready loaded, cocked them and drew close together round the fire.

"This won't do, lads," said Jack, after a few minutes' breathless suspense,
during which the only sound we could hear was the beating of our own hearts;
"we have allowed the fire to get too low, and we've forgotten to adopt
our friend the trader's advice, and make two fires."

So saying, Jack laid down his rifle, and kicking the logs with his heavy
boot, sent up such a cloud of bright sparks as must certainly have scared
the wild animal, whatever it was, away; for we heard no more of it that
night.

"You're right, Jack," remarked Peterkin; "so let us get up a blaze as
fast as we can, and I'll take the first watch, not being sleepy. Come along."

In a few minutes we cut down with our axes a sufficient quantity of
dry wood to keep two large fires going all night; we then kindled our second
fire at a few yards distant from the first, and made our camp between them.
This precaution we took in order to scare away the wild animals whose cries
we heard occasionally during the night. Peterkin, having proposed to take
the first watch ---for we had to watch by turns all the night through ---lighted
his pipe and sat down before the cheerful fire with his back against the
stem of a palm-tree, and his rifle lying close to his hand, to be ready
in case of a surprise. There were many natives wandering about in that
neighbourhood, some of whom might be ignorant of our having arrived at
their village on a peaceful errand. If these should have chanced to come
upon us suddenly, there was no saying what they might do in their surprise
and alarm, so it behoved us to be on our guard.

Jack and I unrolled the light blankets that we carried strapped to our
shoulders through the day, and laying ourselves down side by side with
our feet to the fire and our heads pillowed on a soft pile of sweet-scented
grass, we addressed ourselves to sleep. But sleep did not come so soon
as we expected. I have often noted with some surprise and much interest
the curious phases of the phenomenon of sleep. When I have gone to bed
excessively fatigued and expecting to fall asleep almost at once, I have
been surprised and annoyed to find that the longer I wooed the drowsy god
the longer he refused to come to me; and at last, when I have given up
the attempt in despair, he has suddenly laid his gentle hand upon my eyes
and carried me into the land of Nod. Again, when I have been exceedingly
anxious to keep awake, I have been attacked by sleep with such irresistible
energy that I have been utterly unable to keep my eyelids open or my head
erect, and have sat with my eyes blinking like those of an owl in the sunshine,
and my head nodding like that of a Chinese mandarin.

On this our first night in the African bush, at least our first night
on a hunting expedition ---we had been many nights in the woods on our
journey to that spot ---on this night, I say, Jack and I could by no means
get to sleep for a very long time after we lay down, but continued to gaze
up through the leafy screen overhead at the stars, which seemed to wink
at us, I almost fancied, jocosely. We did not speak to each other, but
purposely kept silence. After a time, however, Jack groaned, and said softly,
---

"Ralph, are you asleep?"

"No," said I, yawning.

"I'm quite sure that Peterkin is," added Jack, raising his head and
looking across the fire at the half-recumbent form of our companion.

"Is he?" said Peterkin in a low tone. "Just about as sound as a weasel!"

"Jack," said I.

"Well?"

"I can't sleep a wink. Ye-a-ow! isn't it odd?"

"No more can I. Do you know, Ralph, I've been counting the red berries
in that tree above me for half an hour, in the hope that the monotony of
the thing would send me off; but I was interrupted by a small monkey who
has been sitting up among the branches and making faces at me for full
twenty minutes. There it is yet, I believe. Do you see it?"

"No; where?"

"Almost above your head."

I gazed upward intently for a few minutes, until I thought I saw the
monkey, but it was very indistinct. Gradually, however, it became more
defined; then to my surprise it turned out to be the head of an elephant!
I was not only amazed but startled at this.

"Get your rifle, Jack!" said I, in a low whisper.

Jack made some sort of reply, but his voice sounded hollow and indistinct.
Then I looked up again, and saw that it was the head of a hippopotamus,
not that of an elephant, which was looking down at me. Curiously enough,
I felt little or no surprise at this, and when in the course of a few minutes
I observed a pair of horns growing out of the creature's eyes and a bushy
tail standing erect on the apex of its head, I ceased to be astonished
at the sight altogether, and regarded it as quite natural and commonplace.
The object afterwards assumed the appearance of a lion with a crocodile's
bail, and a serpent with a monkey's head, and lastly of a gorilla, without
producing in me any other feeling than that of profound indifference. Gradually
the whole scene vanished, and I became totally oblivious.

This state of happy unconsciousness had scarcely lasted ---it seemed
to me ---two minutes, when I was awakened by Peterkin laying his hand on
my shoulder and saying, ---

"Now then, Ralph, it's time to rouse up."

"O Peterkin," said I, in a tone of remonstrance, "how could you be so
unkind as to waken me when I had just got to sleep? Shabby fellow!"

"Just got to sleep, say you? You've been snoring like an apoplectic
alderman for exactly two hours."

"You don't say so!" I exclaimed, getting into a sitting posture.

"Indeed you have. I'm sorry to rouse you, but time's up, and I'm sleepy;
so rub your eyes, man, and try to look a little less like an astonished
owl if you can. I have just replenished both the fires, so you can lean
your back against that palm-tree and take it easy for three-quarters of
an hour or so. After that you'll have to heap on more wood."

I looked at Jack, who was now lying quite unconscious, breathing with
the slow, deep regularity of profound slumber, and with his mouth wide
open.

"What a chance for some waggish baboon to drop a nut or a berry in!"
said Peterkin, winking at me with one eye as he lay down in the spot from
which I had just risen.

He was very sleepy, poor fellow, and could hardly smile at his own absurd
fancy. He was asleep almost instantly. In fact, I do not believe that he
again opened the eye with which he had winked at me, but that he merely
shut the other and began to slumber forthwith.

I now began to feel quite interested in my responsible position as guardian
of the camp. I examined my rifle to see that it was in order and capped;
then leaning against the palm-tree, which was, as it were, my sentry-box,
I stood erect and rubbed my hands and took off my cap, so that the pleasant
night air might play about my temples, and more effectually banish drowsiness.

In order to accomplish this more thoroughly I walked round both fires
and readjusted the logs, sending up showers of sparks as I did so. Then
I went to the edge of the circle of light, in the centre of which our camp
lay, and peered into the gloom of the dark forest.

There was something inexpressibly delightful yet solemn in my feelings
as I gazed into that profound obscurity where the great tree-stems and
the wild gigantic foliage nearest to me appeared ghost-like and indistinct,
and the deep solitudes of which were peopled, not only with the strange
fantastic forms of my excited fancy, but, as I knew full well, with real
wild creatures, both huge and small, such as my imagination at that time
had not fully conceived. I felt awed, almost oppressed, with the deep silence
around, and, I must confess, looked somewhat nervously over my shoulder
as I returned to the fire and sat down to keep watch at my post.

Now it so happened that the battle which I had to fight with myself after
taking my post was precisely the converse of that which I fought during
the earlier part of that night. Then, it was a battle with wakefulness;
now, it was a struggle with sleep; and of the two fights the latter was
the more severe by far.

I began by laying down my rifle close by my side, leaning back in a
sitting posture against the palm-tree, and resigning myself to the contemplation
of the fire, which burned merrily before me, while I pondered with myself
how I should best employ my thoughts during the three long hours of my
watch. But I had not dwelt on that subject more than three minutes, when
I was rudely startled by my own head falling suddenly and heavily forward
on my chest. I immediately roused myself. "Ah! Ralph, Ralph," said I to
myself in a whisper, "this won't do, lad. To sleep at your post! shame
on you! Had you been a sentinel in time of war that nod would have cost
you your life, supposing you to have been caught in the act."

Soliloquising thus, I arose and shook myself. Then I slapped my chest
several times and pulled my nose and sat down again. Only a few minutes
elapsed before the same thing occurred to me again, so I leaped up, and
mended the fires, and walked to and fro, until I felt thoroughly awake,
but in order to make sure that it should not occur again, I walked to the
edge of the circle of light and gazed for some time into the dark forest,
as I had done before. While standing thus I felt my knees give way, as
if they had been suddenly paralysed, and I awoke just in time to prevent
myself falling to the ground. I must confess I was much amazed at this,
for although I had often read of soldiers falling asleep standing at their
posts, I had never believed the thing possible.

I now became rather anxious, "for," thought I, "if I go to sleep and
the fires die down, who knows but wild beasts may come upon us and kill
us before we can seize our arms." For a moment or two I meditated awaking
Jack and begging him to keep me company, but when I reflected that his
watch was to come immediately after mine, I had not the heart to do it.
"No!" said I (and I said it aloud for the purpose of preventing drowsiness)
---"no; I will fight this battle alone! I will repeat some stanzas from
my favourite authors. Yes, I will try to remember a portion of 'A Midsummer-Night's
Dream.' It will be somewhat appropriate to my present circumstances."

Big with this resolve, I sat down with my face to the fire and my back
to the palm-tree, and ---fell sound asleep instantly!

How long I lay in this condition I know not, but I was suddenly awakened
by a yell so appalling that my heart leaped as if into my throat, and my
nerves thrilled with horror. For one instant I was paralysed; then my blood
seemed to rebound on its course. I sprang up and attempted to seize my
rifle.

The reader may judge of my state of mind when I observed that it was
gone! I leaped towards the fire, and grasping a lighted brand, turned round
and glared into the woods in the direction whence the yell came.

It was grey dawn, and I could see things pretty distinctly; but the
only living object that met my gaze was Peterkin, who stood with my rifle
in his hand laughing heartily!

I immediately turned to look at Jack, who was sitting up in the spot
where he had passed the night, with a sleepy smile on his countenance.

"Why, what's the meaning of this?" I inquired.

"The meaning of it?" cried Peterkin, as he advanced and restored the
rifle to its place. "A pretty fellow you are to mount guard! we might have
been all murdered in our sleep by niggers or eaten alive by gorillas, for
all that you would have done to save us."

"But, Peterkin," said I gravely, "you ought not to have startled me
so; you gave me a terrible fright. People have been driven mad before now,
I assure you, by practical jokes."

"My dear fellow," cried Peterkin, with much earnestness, "I know that
as well as you. But, in the first place, you were guilty of so heinous
a crime that I determined to punish you, and at the same time to do it
in a way that would impress it forcibly on your memory; and in the second
place, I would not have done it at all had I not known that your nerves
are as strong as those of a dray-horse. You ought to be taking shame to
yourself on account of your fault rather than objecting to your punishment."

"Peterkin is right, my boy," said Jack, laughing, "though I must say
he had need be sure of the nerves of any one to whom he intends to administer
such a ferocious yell as that. Anyhow, I have no reason to complain; for
you have given me a good long sleep, although I can't say exactly that
you have taken my watch. It will be broad daylight in half an hour, so
we must be stirring, comrades."

On considering the subject I admitted the force of these remarks, and
felt somewhat crestfallen. No doubt, my companions had treated the thing
jocularly, and, to say truth, there was much that was comical in the whole
affair; but the more I thought of it, the more I came to perceive how terrible
might have been the consequences of my unfaithfulness as a sentinel. I
laid the lesson to heart, and I can truly say that from that day to this
I have never again been guilty of the crime of sleeping at my post.

We now busied ourselves in collecting together the dying embers of our
fire and in preparing breakfast, which consisted of tea, hard biscuit,
and cold monkey. None of us liked the monkey; not that its flesh was bad
---quite the contrary ---but it looked so like a small roasted baby that
we could not relish it at all. However, it was all we had; for we had set
off on this hunting excursion intending to live by our rifles, but had
been unfortunate, having seen nothing except a monkey or two.

The kettle was soon boiled, and we sat down to our meagre fare with
hearty appetites. While we are thus engaged, I shall turn aside for a little
and tell the reader, in one or two brief sentences, how we got to this
place.

We shipped in a merchant ship at Liverpool, and sailed for the west
coast of Africa. Arrived there we found a party, under the command of a
Portuguese trader, about to set off to the interior. He could speak a little
English; so we arranged to go with him as far as he intended to proceed,
learn as much of the native language as possible while in his company,
and then obtain a native guide to conduct us to the country in which the
gorillas are found. To this native guide, we arranged, should be explained
by the trader our object in visiting the country, so that he might tell
the tribes whom we intended to visit. This, we found, was an absolutely
needful precaution, on the following ground.

The natives of Africa have a singular and very bad style of carrying
on trade with the white men who visit their shores. The traffic consists
chiefly of ivory, barwood (a wood much used in dyeing), and indiarubber.
The natives of the far interior are not allowed to convey these commodities
directly to the coast, but by the law of the land (which means the law
of the strongest, for they are absolute savages) are obliged to deliver
their goods to the care of the tribe next to them; these pass them on to
the next tribe; and so on they go from tribe to tribe till they reach the
coast, where they are sold by the tribe there. The price obtained, which
usually consists of guns, powder and shot, looking-glasses, cloth, and
sundry other
articles and trinkets useful to men in a savage state, is
returned to the owners in the far interior through the same channel; but
as each tribe deducts a percentage for its trouble, the price dwindles
down as it goes, until a mere trifle, sometimes nothing at all, remains
to be handed over to the unfortunate people of the tribe who originally
sent off the goods for sale. Of course, such a system almost paralyses
trade. But the intermediate tribes between the coast and the interior being
the gainers by this system, are exceedingly jealous of anything like an
attempt to carry on direct trade. They are ready to go to war with the
tribes of the interior, should they attempt it, and they throw all the
opposition they can in the way of the few white men who ever penetrate
the interior for such a purpose.

It will thus be seen that our travels would be hindered very much, if
not stopped altogether, and ourselves be regarded with jealousy, or perhaps
murdered, if our motives in going inland were not fully and satisfactorily
explained to the different tribes as we passed through their lands. And
we therefore proposed to overcome the difficulty by taking a native guide
with us from the tribe with which we should chance to be residing when
obliged to separate from the Portuguese trader.

We had now reached this point. The day before that on which we encamped
in the woods, as above related, we arrived at a native village, and had
been received kindly by the king. Almost immediately after our arrival
we heard so many stories about gorillas that I felt persuaded we should
fall in with one if we went a-hunting, and being exceedingly anxious to
add one to my collection of animals ---for I had a small museum at home
---I prevailed on Jack and Peterkin to go one day's journey into the bush
to look for them. They laughed very much at me indeed, and said that we
were still very far away from the gorilla country; but I had read in some
work on Africa a remark to the effect that there is no cordillera, or mountain
range, extending across the whole continent to limit the habitat
of certain classes of animals, and I thought that if any animal in Africa
would not consent to remain in one region when it wished to go to another,
that animal must be the ferocious gorilla. The trader also laughed at me,
and said that he had never seen any himself in that region, and that we
would have to cross the desert before seeing them. Still, I felt a disposition
to try; besides, I felt certain that we should at least fall in with some
sort of animals or plants or minerals that would be worth collecting; so
it was agreed that we should go out for a single day, and be back in time
for a great elephant-hunt which was about to take place.

But to return from this digression. Having finished breakfast, we made
three bundles or packages of our blankets, provisions, and camp equipage;
strapped them on our backs; and then, shouldering our rifles, set out on
our return to the negro village.

Of course we gave Jack the largest and heaviest bundle to carry. Peterkin's
and mine were about equal, for although I was taller than Peterkin, I was
not by any means so powerful or active. I often wondered at the great strength
that lay in the little frame of my friend. To look at him, no one would
believe that he was such a tough, wiry, hardy little fellow. He was the
same hearty, jovial creature that I had lived with so pleasantly when he
and Jack and I were cast away on the coral island. With the exception of
a small scrap of whisker on each cheek, a scar over the right eye, and
a certain air of manliness, there was little change in my old comrade.

"Ralph," said Jack, as we strode along through the forest, "do you remember
how we three used to wander about together in the woods of our coral island?"

"Remember!" I cried with enthusiasm, for at that moment the thought
occurred to my own mind; "how can I ever forget it, Jack? It seems to me
just like yesterday. I can hardly believe that six long years have passed
since we drank that delicious natural lemonade out of the green cocoa-nuts,
and wandered on the coral beach, and visited Penguin Island, and dived
into the cave to escape the pirates. The whole scene rises up before me
so vividly that I could fancy we were still there. Ah! these were happy
times."

"So they were," cried Peterkin; "but don't you go and become sentimentally
sad, Ralph, when you talk of those happy days. If we were happy there,
are we not happy here? ---There's no change in us ---except, indeed,
that Jack has become a gorilla."

"Ay, and you a monkey," retorted Jack.

"True; and Ralph a naturalist, which is the strangest beast of all,"
added Peterkin. ---"Can you tell me, Ralph, by the way, what tree that
is?"

"I'm sure I cannot tell. Never saw or heard of one like it before,"
I replied, looking at the tree referred to with some interest. It was a
fine tree, but the great beauty about it was the gorgeous fruit with which
it was laden. It hung in the form of bunches of large grapes, and was of
the brightest scarlet colour. The glowing bunches seemed like precious
gems glittering amongst the green foliage, and I observed that a few monkeys
and several parrots were peeping at us through the branches.

"It seems good for food," said Jack. "You'd better climb up, Peterkin,
and pull a few bunches. The puggies won't mind you, of course, being one
of themselves."

"Ralph," said Peterkin, turning to me, and deigning no reply to Jack,
"you call yourself a naturalist; so I suppose you are acquainted with the
habits of monkeys, and can turn your knowledge to practical account."

"Well," I replied, "I know something about the monkey tribes, but I
cannot say that at this moment I remember any particular habit of which
we might avail ourselves."

"Do you not? Well, now, that's odd. I'm a student of nature myself,
and I have picked up a little useful knowledge in the course of my travels.
Did you ever travel so far as the Zoological Gardens in London?"

"Of course I have done so, often."

"And did you ever observe a peculiar species of monkey, which, when
you made a face at it, instantly flew into a towering passion, and shook
the bars of its cage until you expected to see them broken?"

"Yes," said I, laughing; "what then?"

"Look here, you naturalist, and I'll put a wrinkle on your horn. Yonder
hangs a magnificent bunch of fruit that I very much desire to possess."

"But it's too high to reach," said I.

"But there's a monkey sitting beside it," said Peterkin.

"I see. You don't expect him to pull it and throw it down, do you?"

"Oh no, certainly not; but ---" Here Peterkin stepped up to the tree,
and looking up at the monkey, said, "O-o-o-oo-o!" angrily.

"O-o-o-oo-oo!" replied the monkey, stretching out its neck and
looking down with an expression of surprise and indignation, as if to say,
"What on earth do you mean by that?"

"Oo-o-o-oo-o!" roared Peterkin.

Hereupon the monkey uttered a terrific shriek of passion, exposed all
its teeth and gums, glared at its adversary like a little fiend, and seizing
the branch with both hands, shook it with all its might. The result was,
that not only did the coveted bunch of fruit fall to the ground, but a
perfect shower of bunches came down, one of which hit Jack on the forehead,
and, bursting there, sent its fragrant juice down his face and into his
beard, while the parrots and all the other monkeys took to flight, shrieking
with mingled terror and rage.

"You see I'm a practical man," observed Peterkin quietly, as he picked
up the fruit and began to eat it. "Knowledge is power, my boy. A man with
a philosophical turn of mind like yourself ought to have been up to a dodge
of this sort. How capital this fruit is, to be sure! ---Does it make good
pomade, Jack?"

"Excellent; but as I'm not in the habit of using pomade, I shall wash
this out of my beard as quickly as possible."

While Jack went to a brook that ran close to where we stood, I tasted
the fruit, and found it most excellent, the pulp being juicy, with a very
pleasant flavour.

While we were thus engaged a wild pig ran grunting past us.

"Doesn't that remind you of some of our doings on the coral island,
Ralph?" said Peterkin.

Before I could reply a herd of lovely small gazelles flew past. Our
rifles were lying on the ground, and before either of us could take aim
the swift creatures were lost sight of in the thick underwood. Peterkin
fired one shot at a venture, but without any result.

We were still deploring our stupidity in not having our rifles handy,
when a strange sound was heard in the distance. By this time Jack had come
up, so we all three seized our rifles and listened intently. The sound
was evidently approaching. It was a low, dull, booming roar, which at one
moment seemed to be distant thunder, at another the cry of some huge animal
in rage or pain. Presently the beating of heavy hoofs on the turf and the
crash of branches were heard. Each of us sprang instinctively towards a
tree, feeling that if danger were near its trunk would afford us some protection.

Being ignorant, as yet, of the cries of the various wild beasts inhabiting
those woods, we were greatly at a loss to determine what creature it could
be that approached at such headlong speed. That its mad career was caused
by fear soon became apparent, for the tones of terror either in man or
beast, when distinctly heard, cannot be mistaken.

Immediately in front of the spot where we stood was an open space or
glade of considerable extent. Towards this the animal approached, as was
evident from the increasing loudness of its wild roar, which was almost
continuous. In another moment the thick wall of underwood at its farther
extremity was burst asunder with a crash, and a wild buffalo bull bounded
into the plain and dashed madly across. On its neck was crouched a leopard,
which had fixed its claws and teeth deep in the flesh of the agonised animal.
In vain did the bull bound and rear, toss and plunge. At one moment it
ran like the wind; the next it stopped with such violence as to tear up
the turf and scatter it around. Then it reared, almost falling back; anon
it plunged and rushed on again, with the foam flying from its mouth, and
its bloodshot eyes glaring with the fire of rage and terror, while the
woods seemed to tremble with its loud and deep-toned bellowing. Twice in
its passage across the open glade it ran, in its blind fury, straight against
a tree, almost beating in its skull, and for a moment arresting its progress;
but it instantly recovered the shock and burst away again as madly as ever.
But no effort that it was capable of making could relieve the poor creature
from its deadly burden, or cause the leopard in the slightest degree to
relax its fatal gripe.

It chanced that the wild bull's mad gallop was in a direction that brought
it within a few yards of the spot where we stood, so we prepared to put
an end to its misery. As it drew near, Jack, who was in advance, raised
his rifle. I, being only a short distance from him, also made ready to
fire, although I confess that in the agitation of the moment I could not
make up my mind whether I should fire at the buffalo or the leopard. As
far as I can recall my rapid and disjointed thoughts on that exciting occasion,
I reasoned thus: "If I shoot the leopard the bull will escape, and if I
shoot the bull the leopard will escape." It did not occur to me at that
trying moment, when self-possession and decision were so necessary, that
I might shoot the bull with one barrel, and the leopard with the other.
Still less did it occur to me that I might miss bull and leopard altogether.

While I was engaged in this hurried train of troubled thought, Jack
fired both barrels of his rifle, one after the other, as quickly as possible.
The bull stumbled forward upon its knees. In order to make assurance doubly
sure, I aimed at its head and fired both barrels at once. Instantly the
bull rose, with a hideous bellow, and stood for one moment irresolute,
glaring at its new enemies. The leopard, I observed, was no longer on its
back. At this moment I heard an exclamation of anger, and looking round
I observed Peterkin struggling violently in the grasp of one of the wild
vines or thorny plants which abound in some parts of the African forests
and render them almost impassable. It seems that as the bull drew near,
Peterkin, who, like Jack and me, was preparing to shoot, found that a dense
thicket came between him and the game, so as to prevent his firing. He
leaped nimbly over a bush, intending to run to another spot, whence he
could more conveniently take aim, but found himself, as I have related,
suddenly entangled among the thorns in such a way that the more he struggled
the more firmly he became ensnared. Being of an impatient disposition,
he did struggle violently, and it was this, probably, that attracted the
attention of the bull and decided its future course and its ultimate fate;
for after remaining one moment, as I have stated, in an irresolute attitude,
it turned suddenly to the left and rushed, with its head down and its tail
up, straight at Peterkin.

I cannot describe the sensations that overwhelmed me on observing the
imminent danger of my friend. Horror almost overwhelmed me as I gazed with
a stare of fascination at the frightful brute, which with flashing eyes
and bloody foam dripping from its mouth charged into the thicket, and crashed
through the tough boughs and bushes as if they were grass. A film came
over my eyes. I tried to reload my rifle, but my trembling hand refused
to act, and I groaned with mingled shame and despair on finding myself
thus incapable of action in the hour of extreme peril. At that moment I
felt I would joyfully have given my own life to have saved that of Peterkin.
It takes me long to describe it, but the whole scene passed with the rapidity
almost of a flash of light.

Jack did not even attempt to load, but uttering a fearful cry, he sprang
towards our friend with a bound like that of an enraged tiger. A gleam
of hope flashed through my soul as I beheld his gigantic form dash through
the underwood. It seemed to me as if no living creature could withstand
such a furious onset. Alas for Peterkin, had his life depended on Jack,
strong and lion-like though he was! His aid could not have been in time.
A higher Power nerved his arm and steeled his heart at that terrible moment.
As I gazed helplessly at Peterkin, I observed that he suddenly ceased his
struggles to get free, and throwing forward the muzzle of his piece, stood
boldly up and awaited the onset with calm self-possession. The bull was
on him almost in an instant. One stride more and he would have been lost,
but that stride was never taken. His rifle poured its deadly charge into
the skull of the wild bull, which fell a mass of dead flesh, literally
at his feet.

It were vain to attempt to describe the state of our feelings on this
memorable occasion ---the fervour with which we thanked our heavenly Father
for our friend's deliverance ---the delight with which we shook his hands,
again and again, and embraced him. It was with considerable difficulty
that we extricated Peterkin from his entanglement. When this was accomplished
we proceeded to examine our prize.

We were not a little puzzled on discovering that only three bullets
had struck the bull. For my part, I fired straight at its forehead, and
had felt certain at the time that my shots had taken effect; yet there
was but one ball in the animal's head, and that was undoubtedly Peterkin's,
for the hair all round the hole was singed off, so near had it been to
him when he fired. The other two shots were rather wide apart ---one in
the shoulder, the other in the neck. Both would have proved mortal in the
long run, but neither was sufficiently near to a vital spot to kill speedily.

"Now, Ralph, my boy," said Jack, after our excitement was in some degree
abated, "you and I must divide the honour of these two shots, for I fear
we can't tell which of us fired them. Peterkin only fired once, and that
was pretty effectual."

"Yes," I replied, "it is rather perplexing; for although I have no objection
whatever to your having all the honour of those two shots, still one likes
to know with certainty who actually made them."

"You'd better toss for them," suggested Peterkin, who was seated on
the trunk of a fallen tree, examining, with a somewhat rueful countenance,
the tattered condition of his garments.

"There would not be much satisfaction in that," replied Jack, laughing.

"It is probable," said I, "that each of us hit with one barrel and missed
with the other."

"And it is possible," added Jack, "that one of us hit with both, and
the other missed with both. All that I can positively affirm is that I
fired both barrels at his shoulder ---one after the other."

"And all that I am certain of," said I, "is that I fired both barrels
at his forehead, and that I discharged them both at once."

"Did you?" said Peterkin, looking up quickly; "then, Ralph, I'm afraid
you must give all the honour to Jack, for you have missed altogether."

"How do you know that?" I asked, in a somewhat piqued tone.

"Simply enough. If you fired both shots together at so short a distance,
they would have been found close together wherever they had struck, whereas
the two shots in the neck and shoulder are more than two feet apart."

I was compelled to admit that there was much truth in the observation,
but still felt unwilling to give up all claim to having assisted in slaying
our first buffalo. I pondered the subject a good deal during the remainder
of the time we spent in cutting up and packing part of the buffalo meat,
and in preparing to continue our journey, but could come at no satisfactory
conclusion in my own mind, and, to say truth, I felt not a little crestfallen
at my conduct in the whole affair.

While wandering in this mood near the spot where the buffalo had been
first wounded, I received a sudden and severe start on observing the leopard
crouching within a couple of yards of me. I saw it through the bushes quite
distinctly, but could not make quite sure of its attitude. With a mingled
cry of alarm and astonishment I sprang back to the place where I had left
my rifle.

Jack and Peterkin instantly ran up with their pieces cocked.

"Where is it?" they cried in a breath.

"There, crouching just behind that bush."

Jack darted forward.

"Crouching!" he cried, with a loud laugh, seizing the animal by the
tail and dragging it forth; "why, it's dead ---stone dead."

"Dead as mutton," said Peterkin. "Hallo! what's this?" he added in surprise.
"Two holes close together in its forehead, I do declare! Hooray! Ralph,
my boy, give us your paw! You've missed the bull and hit the leopard! If
you haven't been and put two bullets right between its two eyes, I'm a
Dutchman!"

And so, in truth, it turned out. I had aimed at the bull and hit the
leopard. So I left that spot not a little pleased with my bad aim and my
good fortune.

Having skinned the leopard and cut off as much of the buffalo meat as we
could carry, we started for the negro village at a round pace, for we had
already lost much time in our last adventure. As we walked along I could
not help meditating on the uncertainty of this life, and the terrible suddenness
with which we might at any unexpected moment be cut off. These thoughts
led me naturally to reflect how important a matter it is that every one,
no matter how young, should be in a state of preparedness to quit this
world.

I also reflected, and not without a feeling of shame, on my want of
nerve, and was deeply impressed with the importance of boys being inured
from childhood to trifling risks and light dangers of every possible description,
such as tumbling into ponds and off trees, etc., in order to strengthen
their nervous system. I do not, of course, mean to say that boys ought
deliberately to tumble into ponds or climb trees until they fall off; but
they ought not to avoid the risk of such mishaps. They ought to encounter
such risks and many others perpetually. They ought to practise leaping
off heights into deep water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a stream
on a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking. They ought never
to decline to climb up a tree to pull fruit merely because there is a possibility
of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly believe that boys
were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to prepare them
to meet and grapple with the risks and dangers incident to man's career
with cool, cautious self-possession ---a self-possession founded on experimental
knowledge of the character and powers of their own spirits and muscles.
I also concluded that this reasoning applies to some extent to girls as
well as boys, for they too are liable through life to occasional encounters
with danger ---such as meeting with mad bulls, being run away with on horseback,
being upset in boats, being set on fire by means of crinoline; in all of
which cases those who have been trained to risk slight mishaps during early
life will find their nerves equal to the shock, and their minds cool and
collected enough to look around and take hasty advantage of any opportunity
of escape that may exist; while those who have been unhappily nurtured
in excessive delicacy, and advised from the earliest childhood to "take
care of themselves and carefully avoid all risks," will probably fall victims
to their nervous alarms and the kind but injudicious training of parents
or guardians.

The more I pondered this subject the more deeply impressed did I become
with its great importance to the well-being of mankind, and I was so profoundly
engrossed with it that my companions utterly failed to engage me in general
conversation as we walked briskly along through the forest. Jack again
and again attempted to draw my attention to the splendour of the curious
specimens of tropical foliage and vegetation through which we passed; but
I could not rouse myself to take interest therein. In vain did Peterkin
jest and rally me, and point out the monkeys that grinned at us ever and
anon as we passed beneath them, or the serpents that glided more than once
from our path, I was fascinated with my train of meditation, and as I could
not then give it up until I had thought it out, so now I cannot pass from
the subject until I have at least endeavoured to guard myself from misconception.

I beg, then, that it will be understood that I do not by any means inculcate
hare-brained recklessness, or a course of training that will foster that
state of mind. On the contrary, the course of training which I should like
to see universally practised would naturally tend to counteract recklessness,
for it would enable a boy to judge correctly as to what he could and could
not do. Take an illustration. A naturally bold boy has been unwisely trained
to be exceedingly careful of himself. He does not know the extent of his
own courage, or the power and agility of his own muscles; he knows these
things to some extent indeed, but owing to restraint he does not know them
fully. Hence he is liable both to over and under estimate them.

This bold boy ---we shall call him Tom ---takes a walk into the country
with a friend, whom we shall name Pat. Pat is a bad boy, but he has been
permitted to train his muscles as he pleased, and his natural disposition
has led him to do difficult and sometimes slightly dangerous things.

"You can't jump over that river, Tom," says Pat.

"Perhaps not," replies Tom: "I never tried such a jump, because my mother
tells me never to go where I am likely to tumble into the water."

"Oh, your mother's a muff!" cries Pat.

"Pat," says Tom, flushing with indignation and confronting his friend,
"don't you ever say that again, else the friendship between you and me
will come to an end. I know you don't really mean what you say; but I won't
allow you to speak disrespectfully of my mother."

"Well, I won't," says Pat, "but you're a muff, anyhow."

"Perhaps I am," replies Tom.

"Of course you are, because you're afraid to jump over that river, and
I'm not. So here goes."

Pat thereupon jumps the river (he is a splendid leaper), and Tom hesitates.

"Come along, Tom; don't be a hen."

Tom gives way, alas! to a disobedient impulse, and dashing at the leap
comes to the edge, when he finds, somehow, that he has not got the proper
foot first for the spring ---almost every boy knows the feeling I allude
to; his heart fails, and he balks.

"O Tom, what a miminipimini muff you are, to be sure!"

Tom, as I have said, is a bold boy. His blood boils at this; he rushes
wildly at the bank, hurls himself recklessly into the air, barely reaches
the opposite side with a scramble, and falls souse into the river, from
which he issues, as Pat says amid peals of laughter, "like a half-drowned
rat."

Now, had Tom been permitted to follow the bent of his own bold impulses,
he would have found out, years ago, how far and how high he could leap,
and how far exactly he could depend on his own courage in certain circumstances;
and he would either, on the one hand, have measured the leap with an accustomed
eye, and declined to take it with a good-humoured admission that it was
beyond his powers, or, on the other hand, he would calmly have collected
his well and oft tried energies for the spring. The proper foot, from long
experience, would have come to the ground at the right time. His mind,
freed from all anxiety as to what he could accomplish, would have received
a beneficial impulse from his friend's taunt. No nervous dread of a ducking
would have checked the completeness of his bound, because he would have
often been ducked before, and would have discovered that in most cases,
if the clothes be changed at once, a ducking is not worth mentioning ---from
a hydropathic point of view is, in fact, beneficial ---and he would have
cleared the river with comfort to himself and confusion to his friend,
and without a ducking or the uneasiness of conscience caused by the knowledge
that he had disobeyed his mother. Had Peterkin not been trained to encounter
danger, his natural boldness alone would never have enabled him to stand
the charge of that buffalo bull.

There are muffs in this world. I do not refer to those hairy articles
of female apparel in which ladies are wont to place their hands, handkerchiefs,
and scent-bottles. Although not given to the use of slang, I avail myself
of it on this occasion, the word "muff" being eminently expressive of a
certain class of boys, big as well as little, old as well as young. There
are three distinct classes of boys ---namely, muffs, sensible fellows,
and boasters. I say there are three distinct classes, but I do not say
that every boy belongs to one or other of those classes. Those who have
studied chemistry know that nature's elements are few. Nearly all kinds
of matter, and certainly all varieties of mind, are composite. There are
no pure and simple muffs. Most boasters have a good deal of the muff in
them, and many muffs are boasters; while sensible fellows are occasionally
tinged with a dash of both the bad qualities ---they are, if I may be allowed
to coin a word, sensible-boasto-muffers! Still, for the sake of
lucidity, I will maintain that there are three distinct phases of character
in boys.

The muff is a boy who from natural disposition, or early training, or
both, is mild, diffident, and gentle. So far he is an estimable character.
Were this all, he were not a muff. In order to deserve that title he must
be timid and unenthusiastic. He must refuse to venture anything that will
subject him to danger, however slight. He must be afraid of a shower of
rain; afraid of dogs in general, good and bad alike; disinclined to try
bold things; indifferent about learning to swim. He must object to the
game called "dumps," because the blows from the ball are sometimes severe;
and be a sworn enemy to single-stick, because the whacks are uncommonly
painful. So feeling and acting, he will, when he becomes a man, find himself
unable to act in the common emergencies of life ---to protect a lady from
insolence, to guard his house from robbery, or to save his own child should
it chance to fall into the water. The muff is addicted to boasting sometimes,
especially when in the company of girls; but when on the playground he
hangs on the skirts of society, and sings very small. There are many boys,
alas! who are made muffs by injudicious training, who would have grown
up to be bold, manly fellows had they been otherwise treated. There are
also many kinds of muffs. Some are good-hearted, amiable muffs; others
are petty, sneaking muffs.

With many of the varieties I have a strong sympathy, and for their comfort
I would say that muffs may cure themselves if they choose to try energetically.

Courage and cowardice are not two distinct and entirely antagonistic
qualities. To a great extent those qualities are the result of training.
Every courageous man has a slight amount of cowardice in his composition,
and all cowards have a certain infusion of courage. The matador stands
before the infuriated bull, and awaits its charge with unflinching firmness,
not because he has more courage than his comrades in the ring who run away,
but because long training has enabled him to make almost certain of killing
the bull. He knows what he has done before, he feels that he can do it
again, therefore he stands like a hero. Were a doubt of his capacity to
cross his mind for an instant, his cheek would blanch, his hand would tremble,
and, ten to one, he would turn and flee like the rest.

Let muffs, therefore, learn to swim, to leap, and to run. Let them wrestle
with boys bigger than themselves, regardless of being thrown. Let them
practise "jinking" with their companions, so that if even they be chased
by a mad bull, they will, if unable to get out of his way by running, escape
perhaps by jinking. Let them learn to leap off considerable heights into
deep water, so that, if ever called on to leap off the end of a pier or
the side of a ship to save a fellow-creature, they may do so with confidence
and promptitude. Let them even put on "the gloves," and become regardless
of a swelled nose, in order that they may be able to defend themselves
or others from sudden assault. So doing they will become sensible fellows,
whose character I have thus to some extent described. Of course, I speak
of sensible fellows only with reference to this one subject of training
the nerves and muscles. Let it never be forgotten that there are men who,
although sensible in this respect, are uncommonly senseless in regard to
other things of far higher moment.

As to boasters, I will dismiss them with a few words. They are too easily
known to merit particular description. They are usually loud and bold in
the drawing-room, but rather mild in the field. They are desperately egotistical,
fond of exaggeration, and prone to depreciate the deeds of their comrades.
They make bad soldiers and sailors, and are usually held in contempt by
others, whatever they may think of themselves. I may wind up this digression
---into which I have been tempted by an earnest desire to warn my fellow-men
against the errors of nervous and muscular education, which, in my case,
led to the weak conduct of which I had been guilty that day ---I may wind
up this digression, I say, by remarking that the boys who are most loved
in this world are those who are lambs, almost muffs, in the drawing-room,
but lions in the field.

How long I should have gone on pondering this subject I know not, but
Peterkin somewhat rudely interrupted me by uttering a wild scream, and
beginning to caper as if he were a madman. I was much alarmed as well as
surprised at this course of conduct; for although my friend was an inveterate
joker, he was the very reverse of what is termed a buffoon, and never indulged
in personally grotesque actions with a view to make people laugh ---such
as making faces, a practice which, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred,
causes the face-makers to look idiotical rather than funny, and induces
beholders to pity them, and to feel very uncomfortable sensations.

Peterkin's yells, instead of ceasing, continued and increased.

"Why, what's wrong?" I cried, in much alarm.

Instead of answering, Peterkin darted away through the wood like a maniac,
tearing off his clothes as he went. At the same moment Jack began to roar
like a bull, and became similarly distracted. It now flashed across me
that they must have been attacked by an army of the Bashikouay ant, a species
of ant which is so ferocious as to prove a perfect scourge to the parts
of the country over which it travels. The thought had scarcely occurred
to me when I was painfully convinced of its accuracy. The ants suddenly
came to me, and in an instant I was covered from head to foot by the passionate
creatures, which hit me so severely that I also began to scream and to
tear off my garments; for I had been told by the trader who accompanied
us to this part of the country that this was the quickest method of getting
rid of them.

We all three fled, and soon left the army of Bashikouay ants behind
us, undressing, as we ran, in the best way we could; and when we at length
came to a halt we found ourselves almost in a state of nudity. Hastily
divesting ourselves of the remainder of our apparel, we assisted each other
to clear away the ants, though we could not rid ourselves of the painful
effects of the bites with which we were covered.

"What dreadful villains!" gasped Peterkin, as he busied himself in hastily
picking off the furious creatures from his person.

"It would be curious to observe the effect of an army of soldiers stepping
into an army of Bashikouays," said Jack. "They would be routed instantly.
No discipline or courage could hold them together for two minutes after
they were attacked."

I was about to make some reply, when our attention was attracted by
a shout at no great distance, and in a few seconds we observed, to our
confusion, the trader and a band of negroes approaching us. We hurried
on our clothes as rapidly as possible, and were a little more presentable
when they arrived. They had a good laugh at us, of course, and the naked
blacks seemed to be much tickled with the idea that we had been compelled
to divest ourselves, even for a short time, of what they considered our
unnecessary covering.

"We thought you were lost," said the trader, "and I began to blame myself
for letting you away into the woods, where so many dangers may be encountered,
without a guide. But what have you got there? meat of some kind? Your guns
seem to have done service on this your first expedition."

"Ay, that they have," answered Jack. "We've killed a buffalo bull, and
if you send your black fellows back on our track for some hours they'll
come to the carcass, of which we could not, of course, bring very much
away on our shoulders, which are not accustomed yet to heavy loads."

"Besides," added Peterkin, "we were anxious to get back in time for
your elephant-hunt, else we should have brought more meat with us. But
Jack has not mentioned what I consider our chief prize, the honour of shooting
which belongs to my friend Ralph Rover. ---Come, Ralph, unfasten your pack
and let them see it."

Although unwilling to put off more time, I threw down my pack, and untying
it, displayed my leopard skin. The shout of delight and surprise which
the sight of it drew from the negroes was so enthusiastic that I at once
perceived I was considered to have secured a great prize.

"Why, Mr. Rover, you're in luck," said the trader, examining the skin;
"it's not every day that one falls in with such a fine leopard as that.
And you have already made a reputation as a daring hunter, for the niggers
consider it a bold and dangerous thing to attack these critters; they're
so uncommon fierce."

"Indeed I do not by any means deserve such a reputation," said I, refastening
my pack, "for the shot was entirely accidental; so I pray you, good sir,
to let the negroes know that, as I have no desire to go under a false flag,
as my friend Peterkin would say ---"

"Go under a false flag!" exclaimed Peterkin, in contempt. "Sail under
false colours, man! That's what you should have said. Whatever you do,
Ralph, never misquote a man. Go under a false flag! ha, ha! Why, you might
just as well have said, 'progress beneath assumed bunting.'"

"Well, accidental or otherwise," said the trader, "you've got credit
for the deed, and your fame will be spread among the tribe whether you
will or not; for these fellows are such incorrigible liars themselves that
they will never believe you if you tell them the shot was accidental. They
will only give you credit for some strange though unknown motive in telling
such a falsehood."

While the trader was speaking I observed that the negroes were talking
with the eager looks and gesticulations that are peculiar to the Africans
when excited, and presently two or three of them came forward and asked
several questions, while their eyes sparkled eagerly and their black faces
shone with animation as they pointed into the woods in the direction whence
we had come.

"They want to know where you have left the carcass of the leopard, and
if you have taken away the brains," said the trader, turning to me. "I
daresay you know ---if not you'll soon come to find out ---that all the
nigger tribes in Africa are sunk in gross and cruel superstitions. They
have more fetishes, and greegrees, and amulets, and wooden gods, and charms,
than they know what to do with, and have surrounded themselves with spiritual
mysteries that neither themselves nor anybody else can understand. Among
other things, they attach a very high value to the brains of the leopard,
because they imagine that he who possesses them will be rendered extraordinarily
bold and successful in hunting. These fellows are in hopes that, being
ignorant of the value of leopard brains, you have left them in the carcass,
and are burning with anxiety to be off after them."

"Poor creatures!" said I, "they are heartily welcome to the brains;
and the carcass lies not more than four hours' march from this spot, I
should think, ---Is it not so, Jack?"

My friend nodded assent, and the trader, turning to the expectant crowd
of natives, gave them the information they desired. No sooner had he finished
than with loud cries they turned and darted away, tossing their arms wildly
in the air, and looking more like to a band of scared monkeys than to human
beings.

"They're queer fellows," remarked Peterkin.

"So they are," replied the trader, "and they're kindly fellows too ---jovial
and good-humoured, except when under the influence of their abominable
superstitions. Then they become incarnate fiends, and commit deeds of cruelty
that make one's blood run cold to think of."

I felt much saddened by these remarks, and asked the trader if the missionaries
accomplished any good among them.

"Oh yes," he replied, "they do much good, such of them at least as really
are missionaries; for it does not follow that every one who wears a black
coat and white neck-cloth, and goes abroad, is a missionary. But what can
a few men scattered along the coast here and there, however earnest they
be, do among the thousands upon thousands of savages that wander about
in the interior of Africa? No good will ever be done in this land, to any
great extent, until traders and missionaries go hand in hand into the interior,
and the system of trade is entirely remodelled."

"From what you remark," said I, feeling much interested, "I should suppose
that you have given this subject a good deal of attention."

"I have. But there are people in this world who, supposing that because
I am a trader I am therefore prone to exalt trade to an equality with religion,
do not give me credit for disinterestedness when I speak. Perhaps you are
one of these."

"Not I, in truth," said I, earnestly. "My chief desire in conversing
with mankind is to acquire knowledge; I therefore listen with attention
and respect to the opinions of others, instead of endeavouring to assert
my own. In the present instance, being ignorant, I have no opinions to
assert."

"I wish there were more people in your country," replied the trader,
"who felt as you do. I would tell them that, although a trader, I regard
the salvation of men's souls as the most important work in this world.
I would argue that until you get men to listen, you cannot preach the gospel
to them; that the present system of trade in Africa is in itself antagonistic
to religion, being based upon dishonesty, and that, therefore, the natives
will not listen to missionaries ---of course, in some cases they will;
for I believe that the gospel, when truly preached, is never preached in
vain ---but they will throw every possible impediment in their way. I would
tell them that in order to make the path of the missionary practicable,
the system of trade must be inverted, the trader and the missionary must
go hand in hand, and commerce and religion ---although incomparably different
in their nature and ends ---must act the part of brother and sister if
anything great is to be done for the poor natives of Africa."

Conversing thus we beguiled the time pleasantly while we proceeded rapidly
on our way, for the day was drawing to a close, and we were still at a
considerable distance from the native village.

All was bustle, noise, and activity in the village, or, more correctly
speaking, in the native town of his Majesty King Jambai, early in the morning
after our arrival. A great elephant-hunt had been resolved on. The hunters
were brushing up their spears and old guns ---all of which latter were
flint-locks that had been procured from traders, and were not worth more
than a few shillings. The women were busy preparing breakfast, and the
children were playing around their huts.

These huts were of the simplest construction ---made of bamboo, roofed
with large palm-leaves, and open in front. The wants of savages are generally
few; their household furniture is very plain, and there is little of it.
A large hut near to that of his sable majesty had been set apart for the
trader and his party during our residence at the town. In this we had spent
the night as pleasantly as we could, but the mosquitoes kept up an unceasing
warfare upon us, so that daylight was welcomed gladly when it came.

On going to the hut of King Jambai, who had invited us to breakfast
with him, we found the Princess Oninga alone, seated in the king's armchair
and smoking her pipe with uncommon gusto. She had spent the early part
of the morning in preparing breakfast for her father and ourselves, and
was now resting from her labours.

"You are early astir, Princess Oninga," said the trader as we entered
and took our seats round the fire, for at that hour the air felt chilly.

The princess took her pipe from her lips and admitted that she was,
blowing a long thin cloud of smoke into the air with a sigh of satisfaction.

"We are ready for breakfast," added the trader. "Is the king at home?"

"He is in the woods, but will be back quickly." With this remark the
princess rose, and knocking the ashes out of her pipe, left the tent.

"Upon my word, she's a cool beauty," said Peterkin.

"I should rather say a black one," remarked Jack.

"Perhaps an odd one would be the most appropriate term," said I. "Did
you ever see such a headdress?"

The manner in which the Princess Oninga had seen fit to dress her head
was indeed peculiar, I may say ludicrous. Her woolly hair had been arranged
in the form of a cocked hat, with a horn projecting in front, and at a
short distance off it might easily have been mistaken for the headpiece
of a general officer minus the feathers. There was little in the way of
artificial ornament about it, but the princess wore a number of heavy brass
rings on her arms and ankles. Those on the latter reached half-way up to
her knees, and they were so heavy that her walk was little better than
a clumsy waddle. Before we could pass further comment on her appearance,
King Jambai entered, and saluted us by taking us each separately and rubbing
noses with us. This done, he ordered in breakfast, which consisted of roast
and boiled plantains, ground nuts, roast fowl, and roast pig; so we fell
to at once, and being exceedingly hungry after our long walk of the day
before, made a hearty meal.

"Now, sir," said Jack, when our repast was about concluded, "as you
are going to leave us soon, you had better arrange with the king about
getting us an interpreter and supplying us with a few men to carry our
goods. I think you said there was once a man in the tribe who spoke a little
English. Have you found out whether he is alive?"

"Yes; I have heard that he is alive and well, and is expected in every
day from a hunting expedition. He is a splendid hunter and a capital fellow.
His name is Makarooroo, and if you get him you will be fortunate."

"Then ask his black majesty," said Peterkin, "as quick as you please,
for, to say truth, I'm rather anxious on this point. I feel that we should
never get on without a good interpreter."

To our satisfaction we found that the king was quite willing to do all
that we wished and a great deal more. In fact, we soon perceived that he
felt highly honoured by our visit, and had boasted not a little of "his
white men" to the chiefs of neighbouring tribes, some of whom had come
a considerable distance to see us.

"You have made quite a conquest, gentlemen, of worthy Jambai," said
the trader, after translating the king's favourable reply. "The fact is
he is pleased with the liberality you have shown towards him in the way
of gifts, and is proud of the confidence you have placed in him. Had you
been bent on a trading expedition, he would have opposed your further progress;
but knowing that you are simply hunters, he is anxious to assist you by
all the means at his command. He is surprised, indeed, at your taking so
much trouble and coming so far merely to kill wild animals, for he cannot
understand the idea of sporting. He himself hunts for the sake of procuring
meat."

"Can he not understand," said Peterkin, "that we hunt for fun?"

"No, he don't quite see through that. He said to me a few minutes ago,
'Have these men no meat at home, that they come all this long way to get
it?' I told him that you had plenty, and then endeavoured to explain your
idea of hunting 'for fun.' But he shook his head, and I think he does not
believe you."

At this point in our conversation the king rose and gave the signal
to set out on the hunting expedition. Instantly the whole population of
the town turned out and rushed to the banks of the river, near which it
stood, where canoes were prepared for us. Suddenly there arose a great
shout, and the name "Makarooroo, Makarooroo," passed from mouth to mouth.
Presently a fine, tall, deep-chested and broad-shouldered negro stepped
up to the king and laid a leopard skin at his feet, while the people shouted
and danced with delight at the success of their companion; for, as I have
already stated, it is deemed a bold feat to attack and slay a leopard single-handed.

While the commotion caused by this event was going on, I said to the
trader, ---

"How comes it that Makarooroo can speak English?"

"He spent a couple of years on the coast, in the service of a missionary,
and during that time attended the missionary school, where he picked up
a smattering of English and a trifle of geography and arithmetic; but although
a stout, sturdy hunter, and an intelligent man, he was a lazy student,
and gave the good missionary much trouble to hammer the little he knows
into his thick skull. At last he grew tired of it, and returned to his
tribe; but he brought his Bible with him, and I am told is very diligent
in the study of it. His education has gained for him a great reputation
as a fetishman, or doctor of mysteries, among his people. I used often
to see him at school hammering away at m-a, ma-b-a, ba, and so on, amid
a group of children. He used to sit beside the king ---"

"The king!" said I, in surprise.

"Ay; the king of that district became a Christian, and he and the queen,
with one or two others of the royal household, used to attend school with
the children every day, and their diligence in studying the A B C was beyond
all praise. But they were terribly stupid. The children beat them easily,
showing how true is the saying that 'youth is the time to learn.' The king
was always booby, and Makarooroo was always beside him."

As the trader spoke, Makarooroo came forward and shook hands with him
in the English fashion. He was then introduced to us, and expressed his
willingness to become our interpreter in somewhat curious but quite comprehensible
English. As I looked at his intelligent, good-natured countenance, I could
not help thinking that the trader had underrated his intellectual powers.

"He's a funny dog that Makarooroo," said Peterkin, as our interpreter
hastened away to fetch his rusty old gun and spears; for he meant to join
our hunting expedition, although he had only that moment arrived from a
long and fatiguing chase.

"Do you think so?" said Jack.

"I don't agree with you," said I; "to me he seems rather of a grave
and quiet disposition."

"O Ralph, what a bat you are! He was grave enough just now, truly; but
did you not observe the twinkle in his eye when he spoke to us in English?
Depend on it he's a funny dog."

"There must be freemasonry, then, among funny dogs," I retorted, "for
Jack and I don't perceive it."

"Is this our canoe?" inquired Jack of the trader.

"It is."

"Then let's jump in."

In a few seconds the river was crowded with a fleet of small canoes,
and we all paddled quickly up the stream, which was sluggish at that part.
We did not intend to proceed more than a few miles by water, as the place
where game was expected was at some distance from the river. I felt some
regret at this, for the trip up the river was to me most enchanting.

Every yard we advanced new beauties of scenery were revealed to view.
The richness of the tropical vegetation seemed in this place to culminate,
it was so rank and gorgeous. The day was fine, too, and all the strange-looking
creatures ---ugly and beautiful, large and small ---peculiar to those regions,
seemed to have resolved on a general peace in order to bask in the sunshine
and enjoy the glorious weather. Man alone was bent on war, and our track,
alas! was marked with blood wherever we passed along. I pondered much on
this subject, and wondered at the bloodthirsty spirit which seems to be
natural to man in all conditions and climes. Then I thought of the difficulty
these poor Africans have at times in procuring food, the frequency with
which they are reduced almost to a state of starvation, and I ceased to
wonder that they shot and speared everything that came in their way.

We proceeded up the left bank of the river, keeping close in to the
shore in order to obtain the protection of the overhanging boughs and foliage;
for the sun soon began to grow hot, and in the middle of the day became
so intense that I sometimes feared that I or my companions would receive
a sunstroke. I confess that the subject of health often caused me much
anxiety; for although I knew that we were all old experienced travellers
---though young in years ---and had become in a great degree inured to
hardships, I feared that the deadly climate of Central Africa might prove
too much for our European constitutions. By the free use of quinine, however,
and careful attention to the roles of health as far as circumstances would
permit, we were fortunate enough to keep in excellent health and spirits
during the whole course of our sojourn there; for which, when I thought
of the hundreds of Europeans who had perished on that deadly coast without
even venturing into the interior, I felt very thankful. One of our chief
delights, to which I in a great degree attribute our uninterrupted health,
was bathing daily in the streams and ponds with which we fell in, or on
which we paddled during our travels. On these occasions we were fain, however,
to be exceeding careful in the selection of our bathing-pool, as crocodiles
and alligators, and I know not what other hideous animals, were constantly
on the lookout for prey, and I make no doubt would have been very ready
to try the flavour of a morsel of English food had we given them the chance.

On these occasions, when we had made sure of our pool, we were wont
to paddle about in the cool refreshing stream, and recall to mind the splendid
dips we had had together six years before in the clear waters of the coral
island. Since that time Peterkin had learned to swim well, which was not
only a source of much satisfaction and gratification to himself now, but,
he told me, had been the means of preserving not only his own life on more
than one occasion, but the life of a little child which he had the good
fortune to rescue from drowning when cruising off the island of Madagascar.

Peterkin used to speak very strongly when talking on this subject, and
I observed, from the unusual seriousness of his manner, that he felt deeply
too.

"Ralph," he said to me one day, "half the world is mad ---I am not sure
that I might not say three-quarters of the world is mad ---and I'm quite
certain that all the ladies in the world are mad with the exception
of the brown ladies of the South Seas, and a few rare specimens elsewhere;
they're all mad together in reference to the matter of swimming. Now that
I have learned it nothing is so easy, and any one who is not as blind as
a rheumatic owl must see that nothing is more important; for every one
almost is subject to being pitched now and then into deep water, and if
he can't swim it's all up with him. Why, every time an angler goes out
to fish he runs the chance of slipping and being swept into a deep
hole, where, if he cannot swim, he is certain to be drowned. And yet five
strokes would save his life. Good swimming is by no means what is
wanted; swimming of any kind, however poor, is all that is desiderated.
Every time a lady goes to have a row on a lake she is liable to be upset
by the clumsiness of those who accompany her, and although it may be close
to shore, if she cannot swim, down she goes to the bottom. And floating
won't do. Some ladies delude themselves with the idea that floating is
of great value. In nine cases out of ten it is of no value at all; for
unless water be perfectly smooth and still, a person cannot float so as
to keep the waves from washing over the face, in which case choking is
the certain result. There is no excuse for not learning to swim. In most
large cities there are swimming-baths; if the sea is not available, a river
is, everywhere. I tell you what it is, Ralph: people who don't learn to
swim are ---are ---I was going to say asses, but that would be an insult
to the much-maligned long-eared animal; and parents who don't teach their
offspring to swim deserve to be drowned in butter-milk; and I wish I saw
---no, I don't quite wish I saw them all drowned in that way, but
I do wish that I could impress upon mankind over the length and breadth
of this rotund world the great, the immense, the intense importance of
boys and girls being taught to swim."

"You make use of strong language," said I.

"Quite a powerful orator," added Jack, laughing.

"Bah!" exclaimed Peterkin; "your reception of this grand truth is but
a type of the manner in which it will be received by the pig-headed world.
What's the use of preaching common sense? I'm a perfect donkey!"

"Nay, Peterkin," said Jack; "I appreciate what you say, and have no
doubt whatever that your remarks, if made public, would create quite a
revolution in the juvenile world, and convert them speedily into aquatic
animals. Did you ever think of sending your views on that subject to the
Times?"

"The Times!" cried Peterkin.

"Yes, the Times; why not?"

"Because," said Peterkin slowly, "I once sent a letter to that great
but insolent periodical, and what do you think it did?"

"Can't tell, I'm sure."

"Took no notice of it whatever!" said Peterkin, with a look of
ineffable disgust.

But to return from this digression. I was much struck with the splendid
contrast of colours that met my eye everywhere here. The rich variety of
greens in the different trees harmonised with the bright pink plums and
scarlet berries, and these latter were almost dimmed in their lustre by
the bright plumage of the birds, which I felt intense longing to procure,
many of them being quite new to me, and, I am certain, totally unknown
to naturalists, while others I recognised with delight as belonging to
several of the species of which I had read in ornithological works. I tried
hard to shoot several of these lovely creatures, intending to stuff them,
but, to my regret, was utterly unable to hit them. Seeing this, Peterkin
took pity on me, and sitting down in the bow of our canoe, picked off all
the birds I pointed out to him as we passed, with unerring precision. Most
of them fell into the water, and were easily secured, while one or two
toppled off the branches into the canoe. Several of them he shot on the
wing ---a feat which even filled Jack with surprise, and so astounded the
natives that they surrounded our canoe at last, and gazed open-mouthed
at my friend, whom they evidently regarded as the greatest fetishman that
had ever come amongst them.

He was obliged to stop at last and lay down his gun in order to make
the natives cease from crowding round us and delaying our voyage. A number
of iguanas were observed on the branches of the trees that overhung the
stream. They dropped into the water as we approached; but the natives succeeded
in spearing a good many, and I afterwards found that they considered them
excellent food.

If I was charmed with the birds, Peterkin was no less delighted with
the monkeys that chattered at us as we passed along. I never saw a man
laugh as he did that day. He almost became hysterical, so much was he tickled
with their antics; and the natives, who have a keen sense of the ludicrous,
seemed quite to sympathise with his spirit, although, of course, what amused
him could not have similarly affected them, seeing that they were used
to monkeys from infancy.

"There's something new!" exclaimed Jack, as we rounded a bend in the
river and came in view of an open flat where it assumed somewhat the aspect
of a pond or small lake. He pointed to a flock of birds standing on a low
rock, which I instantly recognised to be pelicans.

"Surely," said I, "pelicans are not new to you!"

"Certainly not; but if you look a little more attentively, I think you
will find material for your note-book."

Jack was right. I observed a very fine fish-hawk circling over the head
of one of the pelicans. Its head and neck were white, and its body was
of a reddish chocolate colour. Just as we came in sight, the pelican caught
a fine fish, which it stowed away safe in the pouch under its chin. The
sly hawk, which had been watching for this, immediately made a descent
towards its victim, making a considerable noise with its wings as it came
down. Hearing this, the pelican looked hastily up, and supposing that a
terrible and deadly assault was about to be made, opened its mouth and
screamed in terror. This was just what the hawk wanted. The open bill revealed
the fish in the pouch. Down he swooped, snatched it out, and then soared
away with his ill-gotten gains in his talons.

"Oh, what a thief!" exclaimed Peterkin.

"And the pelican seems to take his loss in a remarkably philosophical
manner," observed Jack.

To my surprise the great stupid bird, instead of flying away, as I had
expected, quietly resumed his fishing as if nothing had happened. No doubt
he was well pleased to find himself still alive, and it is not improbable
that the hawk made several more meals at the expense of his long-beaked
friend after we had passed by.

We soon put him to flight, however, by landing near the spot where he
stood, this being the place where we were to quit our canoes and pass through
the jungle on foot. The hunters now prepared themselves for action, for
the recent tracks of elephants were seen on the bank of the stream, and
the natives said they could not be far off. Jack and Peterkin were armed
with immensely heavy rifles, which carried balls of the weight of six-ounces.
I carried my trusty, double-barrelled fowling-piece, which is of the largest
size, and which I preferred to a rifle, because, not being a good shot,
I resolved, on all occasions, to reserve my fire until we should come to
close quarters with game, leaving my more expert comrades to take the longer
shots. We had also two natives ---one being our guide, Makarooroo, who
carried Jack and Peterkin's double-barrelled guns as a reserve. These were
loaded, of course, with ball.

"This looks something like business," said Jack, as he leaned on his
heavy rifle and looked at the natives, who were selecting their spears
and otherwise making preparations.

"It does," replied Peterkin. "Are you loaded?"

"Ay, and I have just examined the caps to see that they are dry; for
it's not like grouse-shooting on the Scottish hills this African hunting,
depend upon it. A snapping cap might cost us our lives, ---Ralph, my boy,
you must keep well in rear. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it
won't do to go in front when you cannot depend on your nerves."

I experienced a feeling of sadness not unmingled with shame as my friend
said this, but I could not question the justness of his remark, and I knew
well that he would not have made it at all, but for his anxiety lest I
should run recklessly into danger, which I might find myself, when too
late, unable to cope with. I was careful, however, to conceal my feelings
as I replied with a smile, ---

"You are right, Jack. I shall act the part of a support, while you and
Peterkin skirmish in advance."

"And be careful," said Peterkin, solemnly, "that you don't fire into
us by mistake."

Somewhat of Peterkin's own spirit came over me as I replied, "Indeed,
I have been thinking of that, and I'm not sure that I can restrain myself
when I see a chimpanzee monkey and a gorilla walking through the woods
before me."

"I think we'd better take his gun from him," suggested Jack.

At this moment the king gave the signal to advance, so we shouldered
our weapons and joined him. As we walked rapidly along, Jack suggested
that we should allow the natives to kill any elephants we might fall in
with in their own way, so as to observe how they managed it, rather than
try to push ourselves forward on this our first expedition. We all agreed
to this, and shortly after we came to the place which elephants were known
to frequent.

Here great preparations had evidently been made for them. A space of
more than a mile was partially enclosed by what might be termed a vine
wall. The huge, thorny, creeping vines had been torn down from the trees
and woven into a rude sort of network, through which it was almost impossible
for any animal except an elephant to break. This was intended ---not to
stop the elephant altogether, but to entangle and retard him in his flight,
until the hunters could kill him with their spears. The work, we were given
to understand, was attended with considerable danger, for some of the natives
were occasionally caught by the thorny vines when flying from the charge
of the infuriated animal, and were instantly stamped to death by his ponderous
feet.

I felt a new and powerful excitement creep over me as I saw the natives
extend themselves in a wide semicircle of nearly two miles in extent, and
begin to advance with loud shouts and cries, in order to drive the game
towards the vines, and the flashing eyes and compressed lips of my two
companions showed that they were similarly affected. We determined to keep
together and follow close on that part of the line where the king was.

"You no be 'fraid?" said Makarooroo, looking down at Peterkin, who,
he evidently supposed, was neither mentally nor physically adapted for
an African hunter.

Peterkin was so tickled with the question that he suddenly began to
tremble like an aspen leaf, and to chatter with his teeth and display all
the symptoms of abject terror. Pointing over Makarooroo's shoulder into
the bush behind him, he gasped, "The leopard!"

The negro uttered a hideous yell, and springing nearly his own height
into the air, darted behind a tree with the agility of a wild-cat.

Instantly Peterkin resumed his composure, and turning round with a look
of cool surprise, said, ---

"What! you're not afraid, Makarooroo?" The good-humoured fellow burst
into a loud laugh on perceiving the practical joke that had been passed
on him, and it was evident that the incident, trifling though it was, had
suddenly raised his estimation of Peterkin to a very exalted pitch.

We now began to draw near to the enclosure, and I was beginning to fear
that our hunt was to prove unsuccessful that day. A considerable quantity
of small game had passed us, alarmed by the cries of the natives; but we
purposely withheld our fire, although I saw that Jack was sorely tempted
once or twice, when several beautiful gazelles and one or two wild pigs
ran past within shot. Presently we heard a shrill trumpeting sound, which
Peterkin, who had hunted in the forests of Ceylon, told us, in an excited
voice, was the cry of the elephant. We hastened forward with our utmost
speed, when suddenly we were brought to a stand by hearing a tremendous
roar close in front of us. Immediately after, a large male lion bounded
from among the bushes, and with one stroke of his enormous paw struck down
a negro who stood not twenty yards from us. The terrible brute stood for
an instant or two, lashing his sides with his tail and glaring defiance.
It chanced that I happened to be nearest to him, and that the position
of the tangled underwood prevented my companions from taking good aim;
so without waiting for them, being anxious to save, if possible, the life
of the prostrate negro, I fired both barrels into the lion's side. Giving
utterance to another terrible roar, he bounded away into the bush, scattering
the negroes who came in his way, and made his escape, to our great disappointment.

We found, to our horror, on going up to the fallen hunter, that he was
quite dead. His skull had been literally smashed in, as if it had received
a blow from a sledge-hammer.

I cannot describe my feelings on beholding thus, for the first time,
the king of beasts in all the savage majesty of strength and freedom, coupled
with the terrible death of a human being. My brain was in a whirl of excitement;
I scarce knew what I was doing. But I had no time to think, for almost
immediately after firing the shots at the lion, two elephants came crashing
through the bushes. One was between ten and eleven feet high, the other
could not have been less than twelve feet. I had never seen anything like
this in the menageries of England, and their appearance, as they burst
thus suddenly on my vision, was something absolutely appalling.

Those who have only seen the comparatively small and sluggish animals
that are wont to ring their bells to attract attention, and to feed on
gingerbread nuts from the hands of little boys, can form no idea of the
terrible appearance of the gigantic monsters of Africa as they go tearing
in mad fury through the forests with their enormous ears, and tails, and
trunks erect, their ponderous tusks glistening in the sunshine, and their
wicked little eyes flashing like balls of fire as they knock down, rend
asunder, and overturn all that comes in their way.

The two that now approached us in full career were flying before a crowd
of negroes who had already fixed a number of spears in their sides, from
which the blood was flowing copiously. To say that the bushes went down
before them like grass would not give a correct idea of the ponderous rush
of these creatures. Trees of three and four inches diameter were run against
and snapped off like twigs, without proving in any degree obstructive.

By this time the negroes had crowded in from all sides, and as the elephants
approached the place where we stood, a perfect cloud of spears and javelins
descended on their devoted sides. I observed that many of the active natives
had leaped up into the trees and discharged their spears from above, while
others, crouching behind fallen trees or bushes, threw them from below,
so that in a few seconds dozens of spears entered their bodies at every
conceivable angle, and they appeared as if suddenly transformed into monstrous
porcupines or hedgehogs. There was something almost ludicrous in this,
but the magnitude and aspect of the animals were too terrible, and our
danger was too imminent, to permit anything like comic ideas to enter our
brains. I observed, too, that the natives were perfectly wild with excitement.
Their black faces worked convulsively, and their white eyes and teeth glittered
as they leaped and darted about in a state of almost perfect nudity, so
that their aspect was quite demoniacal.

The suddenness and violence of the attack made near to us had the effect
of turning the elephants aside, and the next instant they were tearing
and wrenching themselves through the meshes of the tough and thorny vines.
The natives closed in with wild cries and with redoubled energy. Nothing
surprised me so much as to observe the incredible number of spears that
were sticking all over these creatures, and the amount of blood that they
lost, without any apparent diminution of strength resulting. It seemed
as if no human power could kill them, and at that moment I almost doubted
Peterkin's assertion that he had, while in Ceylon, actually killed elephants
with a single ball.

While Jack and Peterkin and I were gazing in deep interest and surprise
at the curious struggle going on before us, and holding ourselves in readiness
to act, should there be any chance of our game escaping, the larger of
the two elephants succeeded in disentangling himself by backing out of
the snare. He then wheeled round and charged straight at King Jambai, who
stood close to us, with incredible fury. The beast, as it came on with
the bristling spears all over it, the blood spirting from its innumerable
wounds, and trumpeting shrill with rage, seemed to me like some huge unearthly
phantom. It was with difficulty I could believe the whole scene other than
a hideous dream. Jambai launched his javelin into the animal's chest, and
then turned and fled. The other natives also darted and scattered hither
and thither, so that the elephant could not make up its mind on which of
its enemies to wreak its vengeance. We, too, turned and took to our heels
at once with right good will. All at once I heard Jack utter a wild shout
or yell, very unlike to anything I ever heard from him before. I looked
back, and saw that his foot had got entangled in a thorny shrub, and that
the elephant was making at him.

To this day I have never been able to account for the remarkable condition
of mind and body that ensued on this occasion. Instead of being paralysed
as I had been when Peterkin was in imminent danger, all sensation of fear
or hesitancy seemed to vanish on thine instant. I felt my nerves and muscles
strung, as it were, and rendered firm as a rock, and with calm deliberation,
yet with the utmost rapidity of which I was capable, I turned round, sprang
between Jack and the enraged beast, and presented my piece at his head.

"Right in the centre of his forehead," gasped Jack, as he endeavoured
to wrench his foot from the entanglement.

At that moment I observed Peterkin leap to my side; the next instant
the report of both our guns rang through the woods; the elephant bounded
completely over Jack, as Peterkin and I leaped to either side to let it
pass, and fell to the ground with such violence that a tree about six inches
thick, against which it struck, went down before it like a willow wand.

We immediately assisted Jack to extricate himself; but we had no time
to congratulate ourselves on our narrow escape, for mingled shouts and
yells from the men in the bushes ahead apprised us that some new danger
menaced them in that direction.

Reloading as fast as we could, we hastened forward, and soon gained
the new scene of battle. Here stood the other elephant, trying to break
down a small tree up which King Jambai had climbed, partly for safety and
partly in order to dart a javelin down on the brute as it passed.

This was a common custom of the natives; but the king, who was a bold,
reckless man, had neglected to take the very necessary precaution of selecting
a strong tree. The elephant seemed actually to have observed this, for
instead of passing on, it suddenly rushed headlong against the tree and
began to break it down. When we came up the beast was heaving and straining
with all its might, the stout tree was cracking and rending fearfully,
so that the king could scarcely retain his position on it. The natives
were plying their spears with the utmost vigour; but although mortally
wounded, it was evident that in a few more seconds the elephant would succeed
in throwing down the tree and trample the king to death.

Peterkin instantly sprang forward, but Jack laid his hand on his shoulder.

"It's my turn this time, lad," he cried, and leaping towards the monster,
he placed the muzzle of his rifle close to its shoulder and sent a six-ounce
ball right through its heart.

The effect was instantaneous. The elephant fell to the ground, a mountain
of dead flesh.

The delight of the negroes at this happy termination of the battle was
excessive. They leaped and laughed and danced like insane men, and we had
much ado to prevent them seizing us in their arms and rubbing noses with
us.

As we had not commenced the hunt until well on in the day, evening was
now closing in; so the king gave orders to encamp on a dry rising ground
not far distant, where the jungle was less dense, and thither we all repaired,
the natives bringing in all the game, and cutting up the elephants in a
very short space of time.

"Your shot was not such a had one this time, Ralph," observed Peterkin,
as we three stood looking at the large elephant which the natives were
cutting up. "There they are, just above the proboscis. But let me warn
you never again to venture on such a foolhardy thing as to fire in the
face of a charging elephant unless you are a dead shot."

"Thank you, Peterkin, for your advice, which, however, I will not take
when a comrade's life may depend on my doing so."

"I give you full credit for the excellence of your intention," rejoined
my friend; "but if Jack's life had depended on those two shots from your
double-barrel, he would have been but a dead man now. There is only one
vulnerable spot in the front of an elephant's head; that is, exactly in
the centre of the forehead. The spot is not bigger than a saucer, and the
bone is comparatively thin there. If you cannot make sure of hitting
that, you simply face certain death. I would not have tried it on any account
whatever, had I not seen that both you and Jack would have been killed
had I not done so."

On examination we found that the heavy ball from Peterkin's rifle had
indeed penetrated the exact spot referred to, and had been the means of
killing the elephant, while my two bullets were found embedded in the bone.

The tusks of this animal were magnificent. I do not know what their
exact weight was, not having the means wherewith to weigh them. They were
probably worth a considerable sum of money in the British market. Of course
we did not lay claim to any part of the spoil of that day, with the exception
of a few of the beautiful birds shot on the voyage up the river, which
were of no value to the natives, although priceless to me. Alas! when I
came to examine them next morning, I found that those destructive creatures
the white ants had totally destroyed the greater part of them, and the
few that were worth stuffing were very much damaged.

Experience is a good though sometimes a severe teacher. Never again
did I, after that, put off the stuffing of any valuable creature till the
next day. I always stuffed it in the evening of the day on which it was
killed; and thus, although the practice cost me many a sleepless night,
I preserved, and ultimately brought home, many specimens of rare and beautiful
birds and beasts, which would otherwise have been destroyed by those rapacious
insects.

That night the scene of our camp was indescribably romantic and wild.
Numerous huge fires were lighted, and round these the negroes circled and
cooked elephant and venison steaks, while they talked over the events of
the day or recounted the adventures of former hunts with noisy volubility
and gesticulation.

The negro has a particular love for a fire. The nights in his warm climate
are chill to him, though not so to Europeans, and he luxuriates in the
heat of a fire as a cat does in the rays of the sun. The warm blaze seems
to draw out his whole soul, and causes his eyes to sparkle with delight.
A good supper and a warm fire render him almost perfectly happy. There
is but one thing wanting to render him supremely so, and that is ---a pipe!
No doubt, under similar circumstances, the white man also is in a state
of enviable felicity, but he does not show his joy like the negro, who
seems to forget his cares and sorrows, the miseries which his gross superstitions
entail on him, the frequency with which he is exposed to sudden destruction;
everything, in short, is forgotten save the present, and he enjoys himself
with unmitigated fervour.

It really did my heart good as I sat with my comrades beside our fire
and looked around me on their happy faces, which were rendered still happier
by the gift from us of a small quantity of tobacco, with which we had taken
care to provide ourselves for this very purpose.

I could scarcely believe that the jovial, kindly, hearty fellows were
the very men who are well-known to be such cruel, bloodthirsty fiends when
under the influence of their dreadful superstitions, and who, but a few
hours before, had been darting through the woods besmeared with blood and
yelling like maniacs or demons. In fact, the whole scene before me, and
the day's proceedings, seemed to me, at that time, like a vivid dream instead
of a reality. Moreover, after I lay down, the reality became a dream, and
I spent that night, as I had spent the day, shooting gazelles, lions, wild
pigs, and elephants in imagination.

The first object of which my senses became cognisant on awaking next morning
was my friend Peterkin, who had evidently awakened just a moment or two
before me, for he was in the act of yawning and rubbing his eyes.

I have all my life been a student of character, and the most interesting
yet inexplicable character which I have ever studied has been that of my
friend Peterkin, whose eccentricities I have never been able fully to understand
or account for. I have observed that, on first awaking in the mornings,
he has been wont to exhibit several of his most eccentric and peculiar
traits, so I resolved to feign myself asleep and watch him.

"Heigh-ho!" he exclaimed, after the yawn I have just referred to. Having
said this, he stretched out both arms to the utmost above his head, and
then flung himself back at full length on his couch, where he lay still
for about half a minute. Then he started up suddenly into a sitting posture
and looked slowly from one to another of the recumbent forms around him.
Satisfied, apparently, that they were asleep, he gave vent to a long yawn
which terminated in a gasp, and then he looked up contemplatively at the
sky, which was at that hour beginning to warm with the red rays of the
rising sun. While thus engaged, he caressed with his right hand the very
small scrap of whisker that grew on his right cheek. At first it seemed
as if this were an unconscious action, but he suddenly appeared to become
absorbed in it, and stared straight before him as one does when only half
awake, mumbling the while in an undertone. I could not make out distinctly
what he said, but I think I caught the words, "Yes, a little ---a
very
little thicker ---six new hairs, I think ---umph! slow, very slow." Here
he looked at Jack's bushy beard and sighed.

Suddenly he thrust both hands deep into his breeches pockets and stared
at the black embers of the extinct fire; then as suddenly he pulled out
his hands, and placing the forefinger of his right hand on the end of the
thumb of his left, said slowly, ---

"Let me see ---I'll recall it."

He spoke with intense gravity. Most persons do when talking to themselves.

"Yes, I remember now. There were two elephants and four ---or three,
was it? ---no, it must have been four lions. The biggest elephant had on
a false front of fair curls and a marriage-ring on its tail. Stay; was
it not the other one had that? No, it was the biggest. I remember now,
for it was just above the marriage-ring I grasped it when I pulled its
tail out. I didn't pull it off, for it wouldn't come off; it came out like
a telescope or a long piece of indiarubber. Ha! and I remember thinking
how painful it must be. That was odd, now, to think of that. The other
elephant had on crinoline. That was odder still; for of all animals in
the world it least required it. Well, let me see. What did I do? Oh yes,
I shot them both. Of course, that was natural; but it wasn't quite so natural
that the big one should vomit up a live lion, which attacked me with incredible
fury. But I killed it cleverly. Yes, it was a clever thing, undoubtedly,
to split a lion in two, from the tip of its nose to the extremity of its
tail, with one stroke of a penknife ---"

At this climax I could contain myself no longer, and burst into a loud
laugh as I perceived that Peterkin had spent the night, as I myself had
done, in hunting ---though, I confess, there was a considerable difference
in the nature of our achievements, and in the manner of their accomplishment.

"Why, what are you laughing at?" said Jack, sitting up and gazing at
me with a stupid stare.

"At Peterkin's dreams," said I.

"Ah!" said Jack, with a smiling yawn, "that's it, is it? Been hunting
elephants and lions, eh?"

"Why, how did you guess that?" I asked, in surprise; "were you not asleep
just now?"

"Of course I was, and dreaming too, like yourself, I make no doubt.
I had just bagged my fifteenth elephant and my tenth lion when your laugh
awoke me. And the best of it is that I was carrying the whole bagful on
my back at once, and did not feel much oppressed by the weight."

"Yis, massa, comin'," said our guide, rising slowly from his lair on
the opposite side of our fireplace.

"D'you hear?"

"Yis, massa."

"You're a nigger!"

"Dat am a fact."

"Well, being a nigger you're a brick, so look sharp with that splendid
breakfast you promised us last night. I'll wager a million pounds that
you had forgotten all about it."

"No, massa, me no forgit. Me up in centre ob de night and put 'im in
de hole. Wat you call 'im ---oben?"

"Ay, oven, that's it."

"Yis. Well, me git 'im d'rec'ly."

"And, I say, hold on," added Peterkin. "Don't you suppose I'm going
to stand on ceremony with you. Your name's too long by half. Too many rooroos
about it, so I'm going to call you Mak in future, d'ye understand?"

The negro nodded and grinned from ear to ear as he left us. Presently
he returned with a huge round, or lump of meat, at which we looked inquisitively.
The odour from it was delightful, and the tender, juicy appearance of the
meat when Makarooroo, who carved it for us, cut the first slice, was quite
appetising to behold.

"What is it?" inquired Peterkin.

"Elephant's foot," replied the guide.

"Gammon," remarked Peterkin.

"It's true, massa. Don't you see him's toe?"

"So it is," said Jack.

"And it's first-rate," cried I, tasting a morsel.

With that we fell to and made a hearty meal, after which we, along with
the king and all his people, retraced our steps to the river and returned
to the native town, where we spent another day in making preparations to
continue our journey towards the land of the gorilla.

During the hunt which I have just described I was very much amused as
well as amazed at the reckless manner in which the negroes loaded their
rusty old trade-guns. They put in a whole handful of powder each time,
and above that as much shot and bits of old iron of all kinds as they dared;
some I saw charged thus to within a few inches of the muzzle, and the owners
seemed actually afraid to put them to their shoulders, as well they might
be, for the recoil was tremendous, and had the powder been good their guns
must have been blown to pieces and themselves killed.

On our return to the village we found the people on the eve of one of
those terrible outbursts of superstitious passion which rarely if ever
pass away without some wretched human creature perishing under the hands
of murderers.

"There is something wrong with the fetishman, I think," remarked Jack,
as we disembarked at the landing. "He seems excited. Do you know what it
can be at, Makarooroo?"

"Jack," interposed Peterkin, "I have changed his name to Mak, so you
and Ralph will please to remember that. ---Mak, my boy, what's wrong with
your doctor?"

The negro looked very grave and shook his head as he replied, "Don'
know, massa. Him's be goin' to rizz de peepil wid him norrible doin's.
Dere will be death in the camp mos' bery quick ---p'raps dis night."

"That is terrible," said I. "Are you sure of what you say?"

"Sartin sure," replied the negro, with another shake of the head.

"Then, Mak," said Jack, "it behoves us to look to ourselves. You look
like an honest fellow, and I believe we may trust you. We cannot expect
you to help us to fight against your own kith and kin, but I do expect
that you will assist us to escape if any foul play is intended. Whatever
betides, it is as well that you should know that white men are not easily
conquered. Our guns are good ---they never miss fire. We will sell our
lives dearly, you may depend on it."

"Ay," added Peterkin, "it is well that you should know that; moreover,
it is well that the rascally niggers of your tribe should know it too;
so you can take occasion to give them a hint that we shall keep ourselves
prepared for them, with my compliments."

"De mans ob my peepil," replied the negro, with some dignity of manner,
"be not wuss dan oder mans. But dem is bad enuff. But you no hab need for
be fraid. Dey no touch de white mans. Dem bery much glad you com' here.
If any bodies be killed it be black mans or 'oomans."

We felt somewhat relieved on hearing this, for, to say truth, we knew
well enough that three men, no matter how well-armed or resolute they might
be, could not hope to defend themselves against a whole tribe of savages
in their own country. Nevertheless we resolved to keep a sharp lookout,
and be prepared for the worst. Meanwhile we did all in our power to expedite
our departure.

That evening the trader started on his return journey to the coast,
leaving us in charge of King Jambai, who promised earnestly to take good
care of us. We immediately put his willingness to fulfil his promise to
the test by begging him to furnish us with men to carry our goods into
the interior. He tried very hard to induce us to change our minds and remain
hunting with his tribe, telling us that the gorilla country was far far
away from his lands; that we should never reach it alive, or that if we
did we should certainly be killed by the natives, who, besides being cruel
and warlike, were cannibals; and that if we did meet in with gorillas we
should all be certainly slain, for no one could combat successfully with
that ferocious giant of the monkey tribe.

To this we replied that we were quite aware of the dangers we should
have to encounter in our travels, but added that we had come there for
the very purpose of encountering such dangers, and especially to pay a
visit to the giant monkeys in their native land, so that it was in vain
his attempting to dissuade us, as we were resolved to go.

Seeing that we were immovable, the king eventually gave in, and ordered
some of his best men to hold themselves in readiness to start with us on
the following morning. We then proceeded to his majesty's house, where
we had supper, and afterwards retired to our own hut to rest.

But we were destined to have little or no rest that night. The doctor
or fetishman of the tribe had stirred up the passions of the people in
a manner that was quite incomprehensible to us. King Jambai, it seems,
had been for some weeks suffering from illness ---possibly from indigestion,
for he was fond of gorging himself ---and the medicine-man had stated that
his majesty was bewitched by some of the members of his own tribe, and
that unless these sorcerers were slain there was no possibility of his
getting well.

We never could ascertain why the fetishman should fix upon certain persons
to be slain, unless it was that he had a personal enmity against them;
but this seemed unlikely, for two of the persons selected were old female
slaves, who could never, of course, have injured the doctor in any way.
But the doings of Africans, especially in regard to religious superstitions,
I afterwards found were so mysterious that no one could or would explain
the meaning of them to us. And I am inclined to believe that in reference
to the meaning of many things they were themselves utterly ignorant.

Towards midnight the people had wrought themselves up to a frenzied
condition, and made so much noise that we could not sleep. In the midst
of the uproar Makarooroo, who we observed had been very restless all the
evening, rushed into our hut, exclaiming, "Massa! massa! come, save my
Okandaga! come quick!"

The poor fellow was trembling with anxiety, and was actually pale in
the face; for a distinctly discernible pallor overspreads the countenance
of the negro when under the influence of excessive terror.

Okandaga we had previously heard of and seen. She was, according to
African notions, an exceedingly pretty young girl, with whom our worthy
guide had fallen desperately in love. Makarooroo's education had done much
for him, and especially in regard to females. Having observed the kind,
respectful consideration with which the missionaries treated their wives,
and the happiness that seemed to be the result of that course of conduct,
he resolved in his own mind to try the experiment with one of the girls
of his own tribe, and soon after rejoining it paid his attentions to Okandaga,
who seemed to him the most modest and lovable girl in the village.

Poor Okandaga was first amazed and then terrified at the strangely gentle
conduct of her lover, and thought that he meant to bewitch her; for having
never before been accustomed to other than harsh and contemptuous treatment
from men, she could not believe that Makarooroo meant her any good. Gradually,
however, she began to like this respectful wooer, and finally she agreed
to elope with him to the sea-coast and live near the missionaries. It was
necessary, however, to arrange their plans with great caution. There was
no difficulty in their getting married. A handsome present to the girl's
father was all that was necessary to effect that end, and a good hunter
like Makarooroo knew he could speedily obtain possession of his bride,
but to get her removed from her tribe and carried to the coast was quite
a different affair. While the perplexed negro was pondering this subject
and racking his brains to discover a way of getting over the difficulty,
our arrival at the village occurred. At once he jumped to the conclusion
that somehow or other he should accomplish his object through our assistance;
and holding this in view, he the more willingly agreed to accompany us
to the gorilla country, intending first to make our acquaintance, and afterwards
to turn us to account in furthering his plans. All this we learned long
afterwards. At the period of which I am now writing, we were profoundly
ignorant of everything save the fact that Okandaga was his affianced bride,
and that the poor fellow was now almost beside himself with horror because
the fetishman had condemned her, among others, to drink the poisoned cup.

This drinking of the poisoned cup is an ordeal through which the unhappy
victims to whom suspicion has been attached are compelled to pass. Each
one drinks the poison, and several executioners stand by, with heavy knives,
to watch the result. If the poison acts so as to cause the supposed criminal
to fall down, he is hacked in pieces instantly; but if, through unusual
strength or peculiarity of constitution, he is enabled to resist the effects
of the poison, his life is spared, and he is declared innocent.

Jack and Peterkin and I seized our weapons, and hurrying out, followed
our guide to the spot where this terrible tragedy was enacting.

The negro made no reply, but I observed a more hopeful expression on
his countenance after the remark. He evidently had immense faith in Peterkin;
which I must say was more than I had, for when I considered our small numbers,
my hope of influencing savages was very slight.

The scene that met our eyes was indescribably horrible. In the centre
of a dense circle of negroes, who had wrought themselves up to a pitch
of ferocity that caused them to look more like wild beasts than men, stood
the king, and beside him the doctor or fetishman. This latter was ornamented
with a towering headdress of feathers. His face was painted white, which
had the effect of imparting to him an infinitely more hideous and ghastly
aspect than is produced in the white man when he is painted black. A stripe
of red passed round his head, and another down his forehead and nose. His
naked body was decked with sundry fantastic ornaments, and altogether he
looked more like a fiend than I had believed it possible for man to appear.

The ground all round him was saturated with blood and strewn with arms,
fingers, cleft skulls, and masses of flesh that had been hewn from the
victims who had already fallen, one of whom, we afterwards learned, had
belonged to the royal family. Two still remained ---a young female and
an old man. The emaciated frame and white woolly head of the latter showed
that in the course of nature his earthly career must soon terminate. It
is probable that the poor old man had become a burden to his relations,
and the doctor took this opportunity of ridding the tribe of him. The girl
was Okandaga, who stood weeping and trembling as she gazed upon the butchery
that had already taken place.

The old man had swallowed the poison shortly before we arrived, and
he was now struggling to maintain an erect position. But he failed, his
quivering limbs sank beneath him, and before we could interfere the bloody
executioners had cut off his head, and then, in a transport of passion,
they literally hacked his body to pieces.

We rushed hastily forward to the king, and Jack, in an earnest voice,
implored him to spare the last victim.

"Surely," said he, "enough have been sacrificed already. ---Tell him,
Makarooroo, that I will quit his village and never see him more if he does
not spare the life of that young girl."

The king appeared much perplexed by this unlooked-for interference on
our part.

"I cannot check the spirits of my people now," he replied. "They are
roused. The girl has bewitched me and many others. She must die. It is
our custom. Let not my white men be offended. Let them go to their hut
and sleep."

"We cannot sleep while injustice is done in the village," answered Jack,
in a lofty tone. "Let not King Jambai do that which will make his visitors
ashamed of him. Let the girl live till to-morrow at midnight. Let the case
be investigated, and if she be proved guilty then let her die."

The king commenced a long reply in the same dignified manner and tone
which Jack had assumed. While he was thus engaged Peterkin touched our
guide on the shoulder and whispered, ---

"I say, Mak, tell the doctor to back up Jack's request, and I'll give
him a gun."

The negro slipped at once to the side of the doctor, who had begun to
frown fiercely on Jack, and whispered a few words in his ear. Instantly
his face assumed a calmer aspect, and presently he stepped up to the king,
and a whispering conversation ensued, in which the doctor, carefully refraining
from making any mention of the gun, commended the wise advice of the white
man, and suggested that the proposal should be agreed to, adding, however,
that he knew for certain that the girl was a witch, but that the investigation
would do good in the way of proving that he, the doctor, was correct, and
thus the girl should perish on the following night, and the white men would
be satisfied.

Having announced this to the multitude, the king ordered Okandaga to
be conducted back to her prison and carefully guarded; and we returned
to our hut ---not, however, to sleep, but to consult as to what was to
be done next.

"I knew that you wanted a respite for her," said Peterkin, as we sat
round our fire, "that you might have time to consider how to act, and I
backed up your request accordingly, as you know. But now, I confess, I'm
very much at a loss what to suggest. It seems to me we have only purchased
a brief delay."

"True," answered Jack. "The delay is not so brief, however, but that
we may plan some method of getting the poor girl out of this scrape. ---What
say you, Mak?"

"If you no can tink 'pon someting, I gib up all hope," replied
our guide sorrowfully.

"Come, Mak, cheer up," cried Peterkin. "If the worst comes to the worst,
you can, at any rate, fight for your bride."

"Fight!" exclaimed the negro, displaying his white teeth like a mastiff,
rolling his eyes and clinching his fists convulsively. Then in a calmer
tone he continued, "Ay, me can fight. Me could kill all de guards an' take
Okandaga by de hand, an' run troo de bushes for eber. But guards no die
widout hollerin' an' yellerin' like de gorilla; an' nigger mans can run
fasterer dan womans. No, no, dat am dumpossobable."

"Nothing's 'dumpossobable' to brave hearts and stout arms," replied
Jack. "There are only four guards put over her, I believe. Well, there
are just four of us ---not that we require to be equal, by any means. Peterkin
and I could settle them easily; but we require to be equal in numbers,
in order to do it quietly. I have a plan in my head, but there's one hitch
in it that I cannot unravel."

"And what may that be?" If asked.

"Why, I don't see how, after getting clear off with Okandaga, we are
to avoid being pursued on suspicion and captured."

"Dere is one cave," remarked the guide, "not far off to here. P'raps
we be safe if we git into 'im. But I 'fraid it not do, cause him be peepiled
by fiends an' dead man's spirits."

"That's a grave objection," said Peterkin, laughing.

"Yes, an' de tribe neber go near dere; dey is most drefful terrorfied
to be cotched dere."

"Then, that will just do," cried Jack, with animation. "The very thing.
And now I'll tell you what my plan is. To-morrow morning early we will
tell the king that we wish to be off at once ---that we have put off too
much time already, and wish to make no further delay. Then we'll pack up
and start. At night we will encamp in a quiet, out-of-the-way part of the
woods, and slip back to the village in the dark a short time before midnight.
The whole village will at that time be assembled, probably, at the spot
where the execution is to take place; so we can rush in, overpower the
guard, free Okandaga, and make our escape to the cave, where they will
never think of looking for us."

Peterkin shook his head. "There are two difficulties in your plan, Jack.
First, what if the natives are not assembled on the place of execution,
and we find it impossible to make our entrance into or exit from the village
quietly?"

"I propose," replied Jack, "that we shall undress ourselves, rub ourselves
entirely over with charcoal and grease, so that they shall not recognise
us, and dash in and carry the girl off by a coup de main. In which
case it will, of course, be neck or nothing, and a tremendous race to the
cave, where, if they follow us, we will keep them at bay with our rifles."

"Umph! dashing, no doubt, but risky," said Peterkin ---"extremely risky.
Yet it's worth trying. Well, my second difficulty is ---what if they don't
stick to their promise after we quit, and kill the poor thing before midnight?"

"We must take our chance of that. But I shall put the king on his honour
before leaving, and say that I will make particular inquiry into the way
in which the trial has been conducted on my return."

"Put the king on his honour!" observed Peterkin. "I'm afraid that you'll
put his majesty on an extremely unstable foundation. However, I see nothing
better that can be done."

"Have you any more difficulties?"

"Yes," said I. "There is one other. What do you propose to do with the
men who are to be supplied us by the king during these extremely delicate
and difficult manoeuvres?"

The countenances of my comrades fell at this question.

"I never thought of them," said Jack.

"Nor I," said Peterkin.

Makarooroo groaned.

"Well," said I, "if you will allow me to suggest, I would recommend
that we should, towards the close of the day, send them on ahead of us,
and bid them encamp at a certain place, saying that we shall spend the
night in hunting, and return to them in the morning."

"The very thing," said Jack. "Now, comrades, to rest. I will occupy
myself until I fall asleep in maturing my plans and thinking out the details.
Do you the same, and if anything should occur to you let us consult over
it in the morning."

We were all glad to agree to this, being wearied more perhaps by excitement
than want of rest; so bidding each other good-night, we lay down side by
side to meditate, and for my part to dream of the difficult and dangerous
work that awaited us on the morrow.

We arose on the following morning with the dawn of day, and began to make
preparation for our departure.

To our satisfaction we found the king quite willing that we should go;
so embarking our goods in one of the native canoes, we ordered our negroes
to embark, and commenced our journey amid the firing of guns and the good
wishes of the natives. I must confess that I felt some probings of conscience
at the thought of the double part we were compelled to play; but the recollection
of the horrid fate that awaited the poor negro girl put to flight such
feelings, and induced a longing for the time of action to arrive.

I have more than once referred to our goods. Perhaps it may be as well
to explain that, when we first landed on the African coast, we made inquiries
of those who were best acquainted with the nature and requirements of the
country we were about to explore, as to what goods we ought to purchase
of the traders, in order to be in a position to pay our way as we went
along; for we could not, of course, expect the savages to feed us and lodge
us and help us on our way for nothing. After mature consideration, we provided
ourselves with a supply of such things as were most necessary and suitable
---such as tobacco, powder, and shot, and ball, a few trade-guns, several
pieces of brightly-coloured cloth, packages of beads (some white enamelled,
others of coloured glass), coffee and tea, knives, scissors, rings, and
a variety of other knick-knacks. These, with a little brandy to be used
medicinally, our blankets and camp cooking utensils, formed a heavy load
for ten men; but, of course, as we advanced, the load was lightened by
the consumption of our provisions and the giving away of goods. The additions
which I made, however, in the shape of stuffed specimens, began in the
course of time to more than counterbalance this advantage.

Being resolved to impress the natives with a respect for our physical
powers, we made a point of each carrying a pretty heavy load on our journeys
---excepting, of course, when we went out a-hunting. But to return.

Our crew worked willingly and well, so that ere night closed in upon
us we were a considerable distance away from the village. As the sun set
we landed, and ordering our men to advance in the canoe to a certain bend
in the river, and there encamp and await our return, we landed and went
off into the woods as if to search for game.

"Now, Makarooroo, quick march, and don't draw rein till we reach the
cave," said Jack when we were out of sight of the canoe.

Our guide obeyed in silence, and for the next two hours we travelled
through the woods at a sort of half trot that must have carried us over
the ground at the rate of five miles in hour. The pace was indeed tremendous,
and I now reaped the benefit of those long pedestrian excursions which
for years past I had been taking, with scientific ends in view, over the
fields and hills of my native land. Jack and Peterkin seemed both to be
made of iron, and incapable of suffering from fatigue. But I have no doubt
that the exciting and hazardous nature of the expedition on which we had
embarked had much to do with our powers of endurance.

After running and doubling, gliding and leaping through the dense woods,
as I have said, for two hours, we arrived at a broken, rocky piece of ground,
over which we passed, and eventually came upon a thick jungle that concealed
a vast cliff almost entirely from view. The cracking of the bushes as we
approached showed that we had disturbed the slumbers of more than one of
the wild beasts that inhabited the spot. Here Makarooroo paused, and although
it was intensely dark I could observe that he was trembling violently.

"Come, Mak," said I in a whisper, "surely you, who have received a Christian
education, do not really believe that devils inhabit this spot?"

"Come, come," said Jack impatiently; "we have no time for fears of any
kind this night. Think of Okandaga, Mak, and be a man."

This was sufficient. The guide pushed boldly forward, and led us to
the mouth of a large cavern, at which he halted and pointed to the gloomy
interior.

"You have the matches, Peterkin; quick, strike a light. It is getting
late," said Jack.

In another moment a light was struck, and with it we kindled three goodly-sized
torches with which we had provided ourselves. Holding these high over our
heads, we entered the cavern ---Jack first, Peterkin second, I next, and
the terrified negro in rear.

We had scarcely entered, and were peering upwards at the black vault
overhead, when an indescribable rushing sound filled the air of the cavern,
and caused the flame of our torches to flicker with such violence that
we could not see any object distinctly. We all came to a sudden pause,
and I confess that at that moment a feeling of superstitious dread chilled
the blood in my veins. Before we could discover the cause of this strange
effect, several large black objects passed through the air near our heads
with a peculiar muffled noise. Next instant the three torches were extinguished.

Unable to command himself any longer, the negro uttered a cry of terror
and turned to fly; but Jack, whose wits seemed always prepared for any
emergency, had foreseen the probability of this, and springing quickly
after him, threw his arms round his neck and effectually prevented his
running away.

The noise caused by the scuffle seemed to arouse the fury of all the
evil spirits of the place, for a perfect hurricane of whirring sounds raged
around us for a few seconds.

In a few seconds the torches were rekindled, and we advanced into the
cavern; and Mak, after recovering from his fright and learning the cause
thereof, became much bolder. The cave was about a hundred yards deep by
about fifty wide; but we could not ascertain its height, for the light
of our torches failed to penetrate the deep gloom overhead. It was divided
into two natural chambers, the outer being large, the inner small ---a
mere recess, in fact. In this latter we planted our torches, and proceeded
with our hasty preparations. Peterkin was ready first. We endeavoured to
make ourselves as like to the natives in all respects as possible; and
when I looked at my companions, I was obliged to confess that, except in
the full blaze of the torch-light, I could not discern any point of difference
between them and our guide.

"Now then, Jack," said Peterkin, "as you're not quite ready and I am,
I shall employ myself in preparing a little plan of my own which I intend
to put in force if the savages dare to venture into the cavern after us."

"Very good; but see that you finish it in less than five minutes, for
I'll be ready in that time."

Peterkin immediately poured out a large quantity of powder on a flat
rock, and mingling with it a little water from a pool near by, converted
it into a semi-moist ball. This he divided into three parts, and forming
each part into the shape of a tall cone, laid the whole carefully aside.

"There!" said he, "lie you there until you are wanted."

At this moment, while Jack and I were bending down fastening the latchet
of our shoes, our ears were saluted with one of the most appalling yells
I ever listened to. Makarooroo fell flat to the earth in his fright, and
my own heart chilled with horror, while Jack sprang up and instinctively
grasped the handle of his hunting-knife.

"Very good," said Peterkin, as he stood laughing at us quietly, and
we immediately perceived that it was he who uttered the cry.

"Why, what mean you?" said Jack, almost angrily. "Surely this is no
time for foolish jesting."

"I am anything but jesting, Jack. I'm only rehearsing another part of
my plan."

"But you ought to give us warning when you are about to do such startling
things," said I remonstratively.

"Nay, that would not have done at all, because then I should not have
known what effect my cry is likely to produce on unexpectant ears."

"Well, now, are you all ready?" inquired Jack. "Then let us go."

Issuing forth armed only with our double-barrelled guns and heavy hunting-knives,
we hastened towards the native village. When within a hundred yards of
the edge of the wood that skirted it we stopped to pull off our shoes,
for it was necessary that we should have nothing about our persons to tell
who we were should any one chance to see us as we ran. We also left our
rifles beside the shoes at a spot where we could find them in an instant
in passing, and then slowly approached the outskirts of the village.

Presently we heard the hum of distant voices shouting, and the fear
that the scene of bloodshed had already begun induced us to quicken our
pace to a smart run. I never saw a man so deeply affected as was our poor
guide, and when I looked at him I felt extremely anxious lest his state
of mind should unfit him for acting with needful caution.

We gained the first cottages ---they were empty. The village having
been recently built, no stockade had yet been thrown round it, so our progress
was unimpeded.

"We must be very cautious now," observed Jack in a whisper. ---"Restrain
yourself, Makarooroo; Okandaga's life depends on our coolness."

On reaching the back of the next hut, which was also empty. Jack motioned
to us to halt, and coming close to us looked earnestly in each of our faces
without saying a word. I supposed that, like a wise general, he was reviewing
his troops ---seeing whether the men he was about to lead into battle were
fit for their work.

"Now," said he rapidly, "it's evident from the shouting that's going
on that they won't waste much time with their palaver. The hut in which
she is confined is not fifty yards off; I took care to ascertain its position
before leaving this morning. What we have to do is simple. Spring on the
guards and knock them down with our fists or the hilts of our hunting-knives,
or with bits of stick, as suits us best. But mind" ---here he looked
pointedly at our guide ---"no shedding of blood if it can be avoided. These
men are not our enemies. Follow me in single file; when I halt, come up
into line; let each single out the man nearest to him, and when I hold
up my hand spring like wild-cats. If there happen to be five or six guards
instead of four, leave the additional ones to me." We merely nodded assent,
and in another minute were close upon the prison. Peterkin, Mak, and I
had provided us with short heavy bludgeons on our way. These we held in
our right hands; our left hands we kept free either to grasp our opponents
with, or to draw our knives if necessary. Jack carried his long knife ---it
might almost have been termed a short sword ---in his left hand, and from
the manner in which he clinched his right I saw that he meant to make use
of it as his principal weapon.

On gaining the back of the house we heard voices within, but could see
nothing, so we moved softly round to the front, keeping, however, well
behind the screen of bushes. Here Jack halted, and we ranged up alongside
of him and peeped through the bushes. The hut was quite open in front and
the interior was brightly lighted by a strong fire, round which the four
guards ---stout fellows all of them ---were seated with their spears beside
them on the ground. They were conversing in an excited tone, and taking
no notice of Okandaga, who sat behind them, partially in the shade, with
her face buried in her hands. She was not tied in any way, as the guards
knew well enough that she could not hope to escape them by mere running
way.

One rapid glance showed us all this, and enabled us to select our men.
Then Jack gave the signal, and without an instant's hesitation we darted
upon them. I know not in what manner my comrades acted their part. From
the moment I set eyes on the negro nearest to me, my blood began to boil.
Somehow or other I saw Jack give the signal without taking my eyes off
my intended victim, then I sprang forward, and he had barely time to look
up in alarm when I struck him with all my force on the right temple. He
fell without a groan. I looked round instantly, and there lay the other
three, with my companions standing over them. Our plan had been so well
concerted and so promptly executed that the four men fell almost at the
same instant, and without a cry.

Poor Okandaga leaped up and uttered a faint scream of alarm, but Makarooroo's
voice instantly reassured her, and with an exclamation of joy she sprang
into his arms. There was no time for delay. While the scene I have described
was being enacted the shouts in the centre of the village had been increasing,
and we guessed that in a few minutes more the bloodthirsty executioners
would come for their helpless victim. We therefore left the hut at once,
and ran as fast as we could towards the place where our guns and shoes
had been left. Our guide seized Okandaga by the wrist and dragged her along;
but indeed she was so nimble that at first she required no assistance.
In a short time, however, we were obliged to slacken our pace in order
to enable her to keep up. We reached the guns in safety; but while we were
in the act of lifting them a burst of wild cries, that grew louder and
fiercer as they approached, told that the natives were rushing tumultuously
towards the prison.

"Now, lads," said Jack, "we must put on full speed. ---Mak, take her
right hand. ---Here, Okandaga, your left."

At that instant there was a shout in the village, so loud that we knew
the escape was discovered. An indescribable hubbub ensued, but we soon
lost it in the crackling of the underwood as we burst through it in our
headlong flight towards the cave. The poor girl, feeling that her life
depended on it, exerted herself to the utmost, and with the aid of Jack
and her lover kept well up.

"She'll never hold out to the end," said Peterkin, glancing over his
shoulder as he ran.

The cries of the savages filled the woods in all directions, showing
that they had instantly scattered themselves in the pursuit, in order to
increase their chances of intercepting us. We had already traversed the
greater part of the wood that lay between the village and the haunted cavern,
when two negroes, who must have taken a shorter route, descried us. They
instantly uttered a yell of triumph and followed us at full speed, while
from the cries closing in upon us we could tell that the others had heard
and understood the shout. Just then Okandaga's strength began to fail,
and her extreme terror, as the pursuers gained on us, tended still further
to increase her weakness. This was all the more unfortunate that we were
now almost within a couple of hundred yards of the mouth of the cave.

Makarooroo spoke encouragingly to her, but she was unable to reply,
and it became evident that she was about to sink down altogether. Jack
glanced over his shoulder. The two negroes were within fifty yards of us,
but no others were in sight.

"Hold my gun," said Jack to me sharply.

I seized it. He instantly stooped down, grasped Okandaga round the waist,
and without stopping, swung her, with an exertion of strength that seemed
to me incredible, into his arms. We gained the mouth of the cavern; Jack
dropped Okandaga, who immediately ran in, while the rest of us stopped
abruptly and faced about.

"Back, all of you," cried Jack, "else they will be afraid to come on."

The words had scarcely passed his lips when the two negroes came up,
but halted a few yards from the mouth of the cave on seeing such a giant
form guarding the entrance.

To let those men escape and reveal the place of our concealment was
not to be thought of. Jack darted out upon them. They separated from each
other as they turned to fly. I was peeping out of the cave, and saw that
Jack could not secure them both; I therefore darted out, and quickly overtaking
one, seized him by the hair of the head and dragged him into the cave with
the aid of Peterkin. Jack lifted the other savage completely from the ground,
and carried him in struggling in his gripe like a child in its nurse's
arms.

This last episode was enacted so quickly that the two negroes were carried
into the cavern and gagged before the other pursuers came up. At the cave's
mouth the whole of the men of the village shortly assembled with the king
at their head. Thus far the excitement of the chase had led them; but now
that the first burst of their rage was over, and they found themselves
on the threshold of that haunted cavern, the fear of which had been an
element in their training from infancy, they felt, no doubt, overawed by
superstitious dread, and hesitated to enter, although most of them must
have been convinced that the fugitives were there. Their fears increased
as their anger abated, and they crowded round King Jambai, who seemed loath
to take upon himself the honour of leader.

"They must have sought shelter here," said the king, pointing to the
cavern and looking round with an assumption of boldness which he was evidently
far from feeling. "Who among my warriors will follow me?"

"Perhaps the evil spirits have carried them away," suggested one of
the sable crew.

"That is the word of a coward," cried the king, who, although somewhat
timorous about spirits, was in reality a bold, brave man, and felt nettled
that any of his warriors should show the white feather. "If evil spirits
are there, our fetishman will drive them away. Let the doctor stand forth."

At that moment the doctor, worthy knave, must have wished in his inmost
soul that he had remained quietly at home and left to warriors the task
of capturing the fugitives, but there was no resisting the mandate of the
king; besides, his honour and credit as a fetishman was at stake; moreover,
no doubt he felt somewhat emboldened by the presence of such a large number
of men ---there were certainly several hundreds on the ground ---so, all
things considered, he thought it best to accept the post of leader with
a good grace. Stepping quickly forward, he cried, "Let torches be brought,
and I will lead the way."

A murmur of approbation ran through the crowd of blacks, who, like a
flock of sheep, felt bold enough to follow a leader blindly.

While the consultation was going on outside, we were making hasty preparation
for defending ourselves to the last extremity. Peterkin, in particular,
was extremely active, and, to say truth, his actions surprised us not a
little. I once or twice fancied that excitement had turned his brain. He
first dressed up his head in a species of wild turban made of dried grass
and tall sedgy leaves; then he put several patches of red and white earth
on his black face, as well as on his body in various places, and fastened
a number of loose pieces of rag, torn from a handkerchief, and bits of
tattered leaves to his arms and legs in such a manner as to give him an
extremely wild and dishevelled appearance. I must say that when his hasty
toilet was completed he seemed to me the most horrible-looking demon I
had ever conceived of. He next poured out nearly a whole flask of gunpowder
on a ledge of rock, the edge of which was visible from the entrance to
the cave, while the rock itself concealed him from view. Last of all, he
took up the three cones of moistened gunpowder which the reader will remember
he had made before we left the cave to attack the village. One of these
he placed among the grass and branches on his head, the other two he held
in his hands.

"Now, boys," he said, when all was ready, "all I have to ask of you
is that you will stand by with matches, and when I give the word light
the points of those three cones of gunpowder simultaneously and instantly,
and leave me to finish the remainder of my part. Of course you will be
prepared to back me up with your rifles if need be, but keep well out of
sight at first."

We now saw the drift of our eccentric friend's intention, but for my
part I felt little confidence in his success. The plan seemed altogether
too wild and absurd. But our danger was imminent. No way of escape seemed
possible, and it is wonderful how readily men will grasp at anything in
the shape of a ruse or stratagem, no matter how silly or wild, that affords
the most distant chance of escape from danger. Jack, too, I could see from
the look of his face, put little faith in the plan; and I observed an expression
on the countenance of our negro guide which seemed to indicate that his
respect for Peterkin's wisdom was on the wane.

We had not to wait long. The doctor, with several torch-bearers, suddenly
darted in with a shout, followed closely by the warriors, who yelled furiously,
in order, no doubt, to keep up their courage.

Alarmed by such an unusual hubbub in their usually quiet domain, the
bats came swooping from their holes in the walls by hundreds, and the torches
were extinguished almost instantly. The savages who were near the entrance
drew back in haste; those who had entered stood rooted to the spot in terror.

"Now!" whispered Peterkin eagerly.

We struck our lights at once and applied them to the points of the gunpowder
cones, which instantly began to spout forth a shower of sparks with great
violence. Peterkin darted out from behind the rock with a yell so appalling
that we ourselves were startled by it, having forgotten that it formed
an element in his plan. In passing he allowed a few sparks to fall on the
heap of powder, which exploded with so bright a flame that the whole cavern
was illuminated for an instant. It also set fire to the ragged scraps with
which Peterkin had decked himself out ---a result which had neither been
intended nor anticipated ---so that he rushed towards the mouth of the
cave howling with pain as well as with a desire to scare the savages.

The effect of this apparition was tremendous. The negroes turned and
crushed through the narrow entrance screaming and shrieking with terror.
The bats, no less alarmed than the men, and half suffocated with smoke,
fled out of the cave like a whirlwind, flapping their wings on the heads
of the negroes in their flight, and adding, if that were possible, to their
consternation. The negroes ran as never men ran before, tumbling over each
other in their mad haste, dashing against trees and crashing through bushes
in their terror, while Peterkin stood leaping in the cave's mouth, smoking
and blazing and spurting, and unable to contain himself, giving vent to
prolonged peals of demoniacal laughter. Had the laugh been that of negroes
it might have been recognised; but Peterkin's was the loud, violent, British
guffaw, which, I make no doubt, was deemed by them worthy of the fiends
of the haunted cave, and served to spur them on to still greater rapidity
in their wild career.

Returning into the cave's innermost recess, we lighted one of the torches
dropped by the savages, and placing it in a sort of natural niche, seated
ourselves on several pieces of rock to rest.

Our first act was to look earnestly in each other's faces; our next
to burst into peals of laughter.

"I say, comrades," I exclaimed, checking myself, "don't we run some
risk in giving vent to our feelings so freely?"

"No fear," cried Peterkin, who was still smoking a little from unextinguished
sparks. "There is not a man in the whole crew who will draw rein till he
is sitting, with the teeth still chattering in his head, at his own fireside.
I never saw men in such a fright since I was born. Depend upon it, we are
safe enough here from this day forth. ---Don't you think so, Mak?"

Our guide, who was now trying to reassure his trembling bride, turned,
with a broad grin on his sable countenance, and said, ---

"Safe? ho! yis, massa. Dere not be a man as'll come to dis yere cuvern
for de nix tree hun'r year or more. Massa Peterkin be de most horriboble
ghost dey ever did saw, an' no mistake. But, massas, we mus' go 'way quick
an' git to our camp, for de king sure to go dere an' see if you no hab
someting to do wid it all. Him's a bery clebber king, am Jambai ---bery
clebber; him's no be bughummed bery easy."

"Humbugged, you mean," said Jack, laughing. "You're right, Mak; we must
set off at once. But what are we to do with poor Okandaga, now that
we have got her?"

This was indeed a puzzling question. It was impossible to take her to
our camp and account to the negroes for her appearance in a satisfactory
manner; besides, if Jambai took it into his head to pursue us, in order
to ascertain whether we had had anything to do with the rescue, our case
would be hopeless. It was equally impossible to leave her where she was,
and to let her try to make her escape through the woods alone was not to
be thought of. While we pondered this dilemma an idea occurred to me.

"It seems to me," said I, "that men are seldom, perhaps never, thrown
into a danger or difficulty in this world without some way of escape being
opened up, which, if they will but grasp at it promptly, will conduct them
at last out of their perplexities. Now, it has just occurred to me that,
since everything else seems to be impossible, we might send Okandaga into
the woods, with Makarooroo to guide and defend her and to hunt for her.
Let them travel in a line parallel with the river route which we intend
to follow. Each night Mak will make a secure shelter for her, and then
return to our camp as if he had come in from hunting. Each morning he will
set off again into the woods as if to hunt, rejoin Okandaga; and thus we
will journey together, as it were, and when we reach the next tribe of
natives we will leave the girl in their charge until we return from the
gorilla country. What do you think of that plan?"

"Not a bad one," replied Jack; "but if Mak is away all day, what are
we to do for an interpreter?"

"Make him describe to us and to the men the day's route before leaving
us," suggested Peterkin; "and as for the talking, we can manage that well
enough for all needful purposes by a mixture of the few phrases we know
with signs."

In the excitement of this whole affair we had totally forgotten our
two prisoners, who lay not far from us on the ground, gagged and pinioned.
We were now reminded of their presence rather abruptly. We must have secured
their fastenings badly, for during the time we were conversing they managed
to free themselves, and made a sudden dash past us. Jack's eye fortunately
caught sight of them in time. He sprang up, rushed at the one nearest him,
and throwing out his foot as he passed, tripped him up. It chanced that
at that spot there was a deep hole in the floor of the cavern. Into this
the poor wretch plunged head first, and he was killed on the spot. Meanwhile,
the other gained the outlet of the cave, and had almost escaped into the
forest, when Makarooroo darted after him with the speed of an antelope.
In a few seconds we heard a cry, and shortly after our guide returned with
his knife clotted with blood. He had overtaken and slain the other negro.

I cannot convey to the reader the horror that filled me and my two companions
at this unexpected and melancholy termination of the affair. Yet we felt
that we were guiltless of rashly spilling human blood, for Jack had no
intention of killing the poor negro whom he tripped up; and as to the other,
we could not have prevented our guide from doing what he did. He himself
deemed it justifiable, and said that if that man had escaped to the village,
and told who it was that frightened them out of the cave, they would certainly
have come back and murdered us all. There was truth in this. Still we could
not but feel overwhelmed with sadness at the incident.

We were now doubly anxious to get away from this cave, so we rapidly
finished the discussion of our plan, and Jack arranged that he should accompany
what may be termed the overland part of our expedition. This settled, we
washed the charcoal off our persons, with the exception of that on our
faces, having been advised by King Jambai himself to hunt with black faces,
as wild animals were quicker to perceive our white skins than their black
ones. Then we resumed our garments, and quitting the haunted cavern, set
out on our return journey to the camp.

When within about three miles of the place where our men had been ordered
to haul the canoe out of the water and make the camp, we came to a halt
and prepared a spot for Okandaga to spend an hour or two in sleep. The
poor creature was terribly exhausted. We selected a very sequestered place
in a rocky piece of ground, where the light of the small fire we kindled,
in order to cook her some supper, could not be seen by any one who might
chance to pass by that way.

Jack remained with her, but the guide went on with us, in order to give
instructions to our men, who, when we arrived, seemed much surprised that
we had made such a bad hunt during the night. Having pointed out our route,
Makarooroo then left us, and we lay down to obtain a few hours' repose.

We had not lain more than an hour when one of our men awoke us, saying
that it was time to start; so we rose, very unwillingly, and embarked.

"I say, Ralph," observed Peterkin, as we glided up the stream, which
in this place was narrow and sluggish, "isn't it strange that mankind,
as a rule, with very few exceptions, should so greatly dislike getting
up in the morning?"

"It is rather curious, no doubt. But I suspect we have ourselves to
thank for the disinclination. If we did not sit up so late at night we
should not feel the indisposition to rise so strong upon us in the morning."

"There you are quite wrong, Ralph. I always find that the sooner I go
to bed the later I am in getting up. The fact is, I've tried every method
of rousing myself, and without success. And yet I can say conscientiously
that I am desirous of improving; for when at sea I used to have my cot
slung at the head with a block-tackle, and I got one of the middies to
come when the watch was changed and lower me, so that my head lay on the
deck below, and my feet pointed to the beams above. And would you believe
it, I got so accustomed to this at last that, when desperately sleepy,
I used to hold on in that position for a few minutes, and secure a short
nap during the process of suffocation with blood to the head."

"You must indeed have been incorrigible," said I, laughing. "Nevertheless,
I feel assured that the want of will lies at the root of the evil."

"Is it not probable that people always say that just because they feel
that there is truth in the remark?"

"Humph!" ejaculated my friend.

"Besides," I continued, "our success in battling with the evil tendencies
of our natures depends often very much on the manner in which we make the
attack. I have pondered this subject deeply, and have come to the conclusion
that there is a certain moment in the awaking hour of each day which if
seized and improved gains for us the victory. You know Shakespeare's judicious
remark ---'There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune,' or something to that effect. I never feel quite sure
of the literal correctness of my quotations, although I am generally certain
as to the substance. Well, there is a tide also in the affair of getting
up in the morning, and its flood-point is the precise instant when you
recover consciousness. At that moment every one, I believe, has moral courage
to leap violently out of bed; but let that moment pass, and you sink supinely
back, if not to sleep, at least into a desperate condition of unconquerable
lethargy."

"You may be very correct in your reasoning," returned Peterkin; "but
not having pondered that subject quite so deeply as you seem to have done,
I shall modestly refrain from discussing it. Meanwhile I will go ashore,
and stalk yonder duck which floats so comfortably and lazily in the cove
just beyond the point ahead of us, that I think it must be in the condition
of one who, having missed the flood-tide you have just referred to, is
revelling in the luxury of its second nap. ---Ho, you ebony-faced scoundrel!"
he added, turning to the negro who steered our canoe; "shove ashore, like
a good fellow. ---Come, Ralph, lend me your fowling-piece, and do you carry
my big rifle. There is nothing so good for breakfast as a fat duck killed
and roasted before it has had time to cool."

"And here is a capital spot on which to breakfast," said I, as we landed.

"First-rate. Now then, follow me, and mind your muzzle. Better put the
rifle over your shoulder, Ralph, so that if it does go off it may hit the
sun or one of the stars. A six-ounce ball in one's spine is not a pleasant
companion in a hunting expedition."

"But," retorted I, "you forget that I am particularly careful. I always
carry my piece on half-cock, and never put my finger on the trigger."

"Indeed: not even when you pull it?"

"Of course when I am about to fire; but you know well enough what I
mean."

"Hush, Ralph! we must keep silence now and step lightly."

In a few minutes we had gained the clump of bushes close behind which
the duck lay; and Peterkin, going down on all fours, crept forward to get
a shot. I followed him in the same manner, and when he stopped to take
a deliberate aim, I crept up alongside. The duck had heard our approach,
and was swimming about in a somewhat agitated manner among the tall reeds,
so that my companion made one or two unsuccessful attempts to take aim.

"What an aggravating thing!" exclaimed Peterkin in a whisper.

At that moment I happened to cast my eyes across the river, and the
reader may judge of my surprise when I beheld two elephants standing among
the trees. They stood so silently and so motionless, and were so like in
colour to the surrounding foliage, that we had actually approached to within
about thirty yards without observing them. I touched Peterkin on the shoulder,
and pointed to them without saying a word. The expression of amazement
that instantly overspread his features showed that he also saw them.

"The rifle, Ralph," he said, in a low, excited whisper.

I handed it to him. With careful deliberation he took aim, and fired
at the animal nearest to us. The heavy ball entered its huge body just
behind the shoulder. Both elephants tossed up their trunks, and elevating
their great ears they dashed furiously into the bush; but the one that
had been hit, after plunging head foremost down a low bank fell to the
ground with a heavy crash, quite dead.

It was a splendid shot. The natives, who almost immediately after came
up screaming with delight, could scarcely believe their eyes. They dashed
across the river in the canoe, while some of them, regardless of the alligators
that might be hidden there, sprang into the water and swam over.

"I'm sorry we did not get the duck, however," observed Peterkin, as
we returned to the place where we had left the canoe. "Elephant meat is
coarse, nasty stuff, and totally unfit for civilised mouths, though these
niggers seem to relish it amazingly."

"You forget the baked foot," said I.

"Well, so I did. It was pretty good, certainly; but that's the only
part o' the brute that's fit to eat."

Soon after this the canoe came back and took us over the river; and
we breakfasted on the side where the elephant had fallen, in order to allow
the natives to cut off such portions of the meat as they required, and
to secure the tusks. Then we continued our journey, and at night encamped
near a grove of palm-trees which Makarooroo had described to us, and where
we were soon joined by him and Jack, who told us that he had got on well,
during the day ---that he had shot an antelope, and had seen a zebra and
a rhinoceros, besides a variety of smaller game. He also told us that Okandaga
was encamped in a place of safety a few miles to the right of our position,
and that she had stood the journey well.

I was much interested by Jack's account of the zebra and the rhinoceros,
specimens of both of which animals I had seen in menageries, and felt disposed
to change places with him on the march; but reflecting that he was much
more likely than I successfully to hunt anything he might pursue, I made
up my mind to remain by the canoe.

Thus we travelled for several days without anything particular occurring,
and at length arrived at a native village which lay on the banks of a noble
stream.

Here Makarooroo introduced us to Mbango the chief, a fine-looking and
good-natured negro, who received us most hospitably, supplied us with food,
and urged us to remain and hunt with his people. This, however, we declined
to do, telling our entertainer that we had come to his country for the
purpose of shooting that wonderful animal the gorilla, but assuring him
that we would come back without fail if we should be spared. We further
assured him on this head by proposing to leave in his charge a woman for
whom we had a great respect and love, and whom we made him promise faithfully
to take care of till we returned.

Peterkin, who soon gave them a specimen of his powers as a marksman,
and contrived in other ways to fill the minds of the chief and his people
with a very exalted idea of his powers both of body and intellect, endeavoured
to make assurance doubly sure by working on their superstitious fears.

"Tell Mbango," said he to our guide, "that though we be small in numbers
we are very powerful; that we can do deeds" (here he became awfully solemn
and mysterious) "such as no black man ever conceived of; and that if a
hair of the head of Okandaga is hurt, we will on our return ---"

Instead of completing the sentence, Peterkin started up, threw himself
into violent contortions, rolled his eyes in a fearful manner, and, in
short, gave the chief and his people to understand that something quite
indescribable and unutterably terrible would be the result of their playing
us false.

"Send for Njamie," said Mbango to one of his retainers.

Njamie, who was the chief's principal wife, soon appeared. She led a
sturdy little boy by the hand. He was her only son, and a very fine little
fellow, despite the blackness of his skin and his almost total want of
clothing.

To this woman Mbango gave Okandaga in charge, directing her in our presence
how to care for her, and assuring her of the most terrible punishment should
anything befall the woman committed to her care.

Njamie was a mild, agreeable woman. She had more modesty of demeanour
and humility of aspect than the most of the women of her tribe whom we
happened to see, so that we felt disposed to believe that Okandaga was
placed in as safe keeping as it was possible for us to provide for her
in our circumstances. Even Makarooroo appeared to be quite at ease in his
mind; and it was evidently with a relieved breast and a light heart that
he bade adieu to his bride, and started along with us on the following
day on our journey into the deeper recesses of the wilderness.

Before entering upon these transactions with the people of this village,
we took care to keep our crew in total ignorance of what passed by sending
them on in advance with the canoe under Jack's care, a few hours before
we brought Okandaga into the village, or even made mention of her existence;
and we secured their ready obedience to our orders, and total indifference
as to our motives in these incomprehensible actions, by giving them each
a few inches of tobacco ---a gift which rendered them supremely happy.

One day, about a week after the events above narrated, we met with an
adventure which well-nigh cost Jack his life, but which ultimately resulted
in an important change in our manner of travelling. We were traversing
an extremely beautiful country with the goods on our shoulders, having,
in consequence of the increasing turbulence of the river as well as its
change of direction, been compelled to abandon our canoe, and cut across
the country in as straight a line as its nature would permit. But this
was not easy, for the grass, which was bright green, was so long as to
reach sometimes higher than our shoulders.

In this species of country Jack's towering height really became of great
use, enabling him frequently to walk along with his head above the surrounding
herbage, while we were compelled to grope along, ignorant of all that was
around us save the tall grass at our sides. Occasionally, however, we came
upon more open ground, where the grass was short, and then we enjoyed the
lovely scenery to the full. We met with a great variety of new plants and
trees in this region. Many of the latter were festooned with wild vines
and other climbing plants. Among others, I saw several specimens of that
curious and interesting tree the banyan, with its drop-shoots in every
state of growth ---some beginning to point towards the earth, in which
they were ultimately destined to take root; some more than half-way down;
while others were already fixed, forming stout pillars to their parent
branches ---thus, as it were, on reaching maturity, rendering that support
which it is the glory as well as the privilege of youth to accord to age.
Besides these, there were wild dates and palmyra trees, and many others
too numerous to mention, but the peculiar characteristics of which I carefully
jotted down in my note-book. Many small water-courses were crossed, in
some of which Mak pointed out a number of holes, which he said were made
by elephants wading in them. He also told us that several mud-pools, which
seemed to have been recently and violently stirred up, were caused by the
wallowing of the rhinoceros; so we kept at all times a sharp lookout for
a shot.

Lions were also numerous in this neighbourhood, and we constantly heard
them roaring at night, but seldom saw them during our march.

Well, as I have already remarked, one day we were travelling somewhat
slowly through the long grass of this country, when, feeling oppressed
by the heat, as well as somewhat fatigued with my load, I called to Jack,
who was in advance, to stop for a few minutes to rest.

"Most willingly," he replied, throwing down his load, and wiping away
the perspiration which stood in large drops on his brow. "I was on the
point of calling a halt when you spoke. ---How do you get on down there,
Peterkin?"

Our friend, who had seated himself on the bale he had been carrying,
and seemed to be excessively hot, looked up with a comical expression of
countenance, and replied, ---

"Pretty well, thank'ee. How do you get on up there?"

"Oh, capitally. There's such a nice cool breeze blowing, I'm quite sorry
that I cannot send a little of it down."

"Don't distress yourself, my dear fellow; I'll come up to snuff it."

So saying, Peterkin sprang nimbly upon Jack's shoulders, and began to
gaze round him.

"I say, Peterkin," said Jack, "why are you a very clever fellow just
now?"

"Don't know," replied Peterkin. "I give it up at once. Always do. Never
could guess a riddle in all my life."

"Because," said Jack, "you're 'up to snuff.'"

"Oh, oh! that certainly deserves a pinch; so there's for you."

Jack uttered a roar, and tossed Peterkin off his shoulders, on receiving
the punishment.

"Shabby fellow!" cried Peterkin, rubbing his head. "But, I say, do let
me up again. I thought, just as you dropped me, that I saw a place where
the grass is short. Ay, there it is, fifty yards or so ahead of us, with
a palmyra tree on it. Come, let us go rest there, for I confess that I
feel somewhat smothered in this long grass."

We took up our packs immediately, and carried them to the spot indicated,
which we found almost free from long grass. Here we lay down to enjoy the
delightful shade of the tree, and the magnificent view of the country around
us. Our negroes also seemed to enjoy the shade, but they were evidently
not nearly so much oppressed with the heat as we were, which was very natural.
They seemed to have no perception of the beautiful in nature, however,
although they appreciated fully the agreeable influences by which they
were surrounded.

While I lay at the foot of that tree, pondering this subject, I observed
a very strange-looking insect engaged in a very curious kind of occupation.
Peterkin's eye caught sight of it at the same instant with mine.

"Hollo! Jack, look here!" he cried in a whisper. "I declare, here's
a beast been and shoved its head into a hole, and converted its tail into
a trap!"

We all three lay down as quietly as possible, and I could not but smile
when I thought of the literal correctness of my friend's quaint description
of what we saw.

The insect was a species of ant-eater. It was about an inch and a quarter
long, as thick as a crow-quill, and covered with black hair. It put its
head into a little hole in the ground, and quivered its tail rapidly. The
ants, which seemed to be filled with curiosity at this peculiar sight,
went near to see what the strange thing could be; and no sooner did one
come within the range of the forceps on the insect's tail, than it was
snapped up.

"Now, that is the most original trapper I ever did see or hear of,"
remarked Peterkin, with a broad grin. "I've seen many things in my travels,
but I never expected to meet with a beast that could catch others by merely
wagging its tail."

"You forget the hunters of North America," said Jack, "who entice little
antelopes towards them by merely wagging a bit of rag on the end of a ramrod."

"I forget nothing of the sort," retorted Peterkin. "Wagging a ramrod
is not wagging a tail. Besides, I spoke of beasts doing it; men are not
beasts."

"Then I hold you self-convicted, my boy," exclaimed Jack; "for you have
often called me a beast."

"By no means, Jack. I am not self-convicted, but quite correct, as I
can prove to the satisfaction of any one who isn't a philosopher. You never
can prove anything to a philosopher."

"Prove it, then."

"I will. Isn't a monkey a beast?"

"Certainly."

"Isn't a gorilla a monkey?"

"No doubt it is."

"And aren't you a gorilla?"

"I say, lads, it's time to be going," cried Jack, with a laugh, as he
rose and resumed his load.

At that moment Mak uttered an exclamation, and pointed towards a particular
spot in the plain before us, where, close by a clump of trees, we saw the
graceful head and neck and part of the shoulders of a giraffe. We were
naturally much excited at the sight, this being the first we had fallen
in with.

"You'd better go after it," said Jack to Peterkin, "and take Mak with
you."

"I'd rather you'd go yourself," replied Peterkin; "for, to say truth,
I'm pretty well knocked up to-day. I don't know how it is ---one day one
feels made of iron, as if nothing could tire one; and the next, one feels
quite weak and spiritless."

"Well, I'll go; but I shall not take any one with me. ---Take observation
of the sun, Mak, and keep a straight course as you are now going until
night. D'ye see yonder ridge?"

"Yes, massa."

"Then hold on direct for that, and encamp there. I'll not be long behind
you, and hope to bring you a giraffe steak for supper."

We endeavoured to dissuade Jack from going out alone, but he said truly
that his load distributed among us all was quite sufficient, without adding
to it by taking away another member of the party. Thus we parted; but I
felt a strange feeling of depression, a kind of foreboding of evil, which
I could not shake off, despite my utmost efforts. Peterkin, too, was unusually
silent, and I could not avoid seeing that he felt more anxiety on account
of Jack's rashness than he was willing to allow. Our friend took with him
one of our large-bore rifles, and a double-barrel of smaller bore slung
at his back.

Shortly after parting with him, we descried an ostrich feeding in the
plain before us. I had long desired to meet with a specimen of this gigantic
bird in its native wilds, and Peterkin was equally anxious to get a shot
at it; so we called a halt, and prepared to stalk it. We were aware that
the ostrich is a very silly and very timid bird, but not being aware of
the best method of hunting it, we asked Makarooroo to explain how he was
in the habit of doing it.

"You mus' know," he began, "dat bird hims be a mos' ex'roroninary beast.
When hims run hims go fasterer dan ---oh! it be dumpossobable for say how
much fast hims go. You no can see him's legs; dey go same as legs ob leetle
bird. But hims be horrobably stupid. Suppose he see you far, far away,
goin' to de wind'ard ob him, he no run 'way to leeward; hims tink you wants
to get round him, so off him start to git past you, and before hims pass
he sometimes come close 'nuff to be shooted or speared. Me hab spear him
dat way, but him's awful differcult to git at for all dat."

"Well then, Mak, after that lucid explanation, what d'you propose that
we should do?" inquired Peterkin, examining the locks of his rifle.

"Me pruppose dat you go far ober dere, Massa Ralph go not jist so far,
and me go to de wind'ard and gib him fright."

Acting upon this advice, we proceeded cautiously to the several spots
indicated, and our guide set off towards an exposed place, where he intended
to show himself. In a few minutes we observed the gigantic bird look up
in alarm, and then we saw Makarooroo running like a deer over the plain.
The ostrich instantly rushed off madly at full speed, not, as might have
been expected, in a contrary direction, or towards any place of shelter,
but simply, as it appeared to me, with no other end in view than that of
getting to windward of his supposed enemy. I observed that he took a direction
which would quickly bring him within range of my companion's rifle, but
I was so amazed at the speed with which he ran that I could think of nothing
else.

Every one knows that the ostrich has nothing worthy of the name of wings
---merely a small tuft of feathers at each side, with which he cannot make
even an attempt to fly; but every one does not know, probably, that with
his stout and long legs he can pass over the ground nearly at the ordinary
speed of a locomotive engine. I proved this to my own satisfaction by taking
accurate observation. On first observing the tremendous speed at which
he was going, I seized my note-book, and pulling out my watch, endeavoured
to count the number of steps he took in a minute. This, however, I found
was totally impossible; for his legs, big though they were, went so fast
that I could no more count them than I could count the spokes of a carriage-wheel.
I observed, however, that there were two bushes on the plain in the direction
of his flight, which he would soon have to pass. I therefore laid down
my note-book and rifle, and stood with my watch in hand, ready to note
the precise instants at which he should pass the first and second. By afterwards
counting the number of footsteps on the ground between the bushes, and
comparing the result with the time occupied in passing between the two,
I thus proposed to myself to ascertain his rate of speed.

Scarcely had I conceived this idea when the bird passed the first bush,
and I glanced at my watch; then he passed the second, and I glanced again.
Thus I noted that he took exactly ten seconds to pass from one bush to
the other. While I was in the act of jotting this down I heard the report
of Peterkin's rifle, and looking up hastily, saw the tail-feathers of the
ostrich knocked into the air, but the bird itself passed on uninjured.
I was deeply mortified at this failure, and all the more so that, from
past experience, I had been led to believe that my friend never
missed his mark. Hurrying up, I exclaimed, ---

"Ah!" said he, "it's all very well for you to say, 'What has come over
you?' but you ought to make allowance for a man who has carried a heavy
load all the forenoon. Besides, he was almost beyond range. Moreover, although
I have hunted a good deal, I really have not been in the habit of firing
at animal locomotives under full steam. Did you ever see such a slapping
pace and such an outrageous pair of legs, Ralph?"

"Never," said I. "But come with me to yonder bushes. I'm going to make
a calculation."

"What's a calcoolashun?" inquired our guide, who came up at that moment,
panting violently.

"It's a summation, case of counting up one, two, three, etc. ---and
may be multiplying, subtracting, and dividing into the bargain."

"Ho! dat's what me been do at de missionary school."

"Exactly; but what sort of calculation Ralph means to undertake at present
I know not. Perhaps he's going to try to find out whether, if we were to
run at the rate of six miles an hour till doomsday, in the wrong direction,
there would be any chance of our ever sticking that ostrich's tail again
on his big body. But come along; we shall see."

On reaching the spot I could scarcely believe my eyes. Each step this
bird had taken measured fourteen feet in length! I always carried a rolled-up
yard-measure about with me, which I applied to the steps, so that I could
make no mistake. There were exactly thirty of those gigantic paces between
the two bushes. This multiplied by six gave 180 steps, or 2,520 feet in
one minute, which resulted in 151,200 feet, or 50,400 yards, or very nearly
thirty miles in the hour.

"No wonder I only knocked his tail off," said Peterkin.

"On the contrary," said I, "the wonder is that under the circumstances
you hit the bird at all."

On further examination of the place where we had seen the ostrich before
it was alarmed, we ascertained that his ordinary walking pace varied from
twenty to twenty-six inches in length.

After this unsuccessful hunt we returned to our comrades, and proceeded
to the rendezvous where we expected to find Jack; but as he was not there,
we concluded that he must have wandered farther than he intended, so, throwing
down our packs, we set about preparing the camp and a good supper against
his return. Gradually the sun began to sink low on the horizon; then he
dipped below it, and the short twilight of those latitudes was rapidly
merging into night; but Jack did not return, and the uneasiness which we
had all along felt in regard to him increased so much that we could not
refrain from showing it.

"I'll tell you what it is, Ralph," cried Peterkin, starting up suddenly:
"I'm not going to sit here wasting the time when Jack may be in some desperate
fix. I'll go and hunt for him."

"But how are we to proceed? which way are we to go? I have not the most
distant idea as to what direction we ought to go in our search."

"Leave that to Mak. He knows the ways o' the country best, and the probable
route that Jack has taken. Are you ready?"

"Yes. Shall we take some brandy?"

"Ay; well thought of. He'll perhaps be the better of something of that
sort if anything has befallen him. Now, then, let's go."

Leaving our men in charge of the camp, with strict injunctions to keep
good watch and not allow the fires to go down, lest they should be attacked
by lions, we three set forth on our nocturnal search. From time to time
we stood still and shouted in a manner that would let our lost friend know
that we were in search of him, should he be within earshot, but no answering
cry came back to us; and we were beginning to despair, when we came upon
the footprints of a man in the soft soil of a swampy spot we had to cross.
It was a clear moonlight night, so that we could distinguish them perfectly.

"Ho!" exclaimed our guide, as he stooped to examine the marks.

"Well, Mak, what do you make of it?" inquired Peterkin anxiously.

Mak made no reply for a few seconds; then he rose, and said earnestly,
"Dat am Massa Jack's foot."

I confess that I was somewhat surprised at the air of confidence with
which our guide made this statement; for after a most careful examination
of the prints, which were exceedingly indistinct, I could discern nothing
to indicate that they had been made by Jack.

"Are you sure, Mak?" asked Peterkin.

"Sartin sure, massa."

"Then push on as fast as you can."

Presently we came to a spot where the ground was harder and the prints
more distinct.

"Ha! you're wrong, Mak," cried Peterkin, in a voice of disappointment,
as he stooped to examine the footsteps again. "Here we have the print of
a naked foot; Jack wore shoes. And, what's this? blood!"

The reader may imagine our state of mind on making this discovery. Without
uttering another word, we quickened our pace into a smart run, keeping
closely in the track of Jack's steps. Soon we observed that these deviated
from side to side in an extraordinary manner, as if the person who made
them had been unable to walk straight. In a few minutes more we came on
the footprints of a rhinoceros ---a sight which still further increased
our alarm. On coming out from among a clump of low bushes that skirted
the edge of a small plain, we observed a dark object lying on the ground
about fifty yards distant from us. I almost sank down with an undefinable
feeling of dread on beholding this.

We held our rifles in readiness as we approached it at a quick pace,
for we knew not whether it was not a wild animal which might spring upon
us the moment we came close enough. But a few seconds dispelled our dread
of such an attack and confirmed our worst fears, for there, in a pool of
blood, lay Jack's manly form. The face was upturned, and the moon, which
shone full upon it, showed that it was pale as death and covered with blood.
His clothes were rent and dishevelled and covered with dust, as if he had
struggled hard with some powerful foe, and all round the spot were footprints
of a rhinoceros, revealing too clearly the character of the terrible monster
with which our friend had engaged in unequal conflict.

Peterkin darted forward, tore open Jack's shirt at the breast, and laid
his hand upon his heart.

I instantly poured a little of the spirit into the silver cup attached
to the flask, and handed it to Peterkin, who, after moistening Jack's lips,
began assiduously to rub his chest and forehead with brandy. Kneeling down
by his side I assisted him, while I applied some to his feet. While we
were thus engaged we observed that our poor friend's arms and chest had
received several severe bruises and some slight wounds, and we also discovered
a terrible gash in his right thigh which had evidently been made by the
formidable horn of the rhinoceros. This, and the other wounds which were
still bleeding pretty freely, we stanched and bound up, and our exertions
were at length rewarded by the sight of a faint tinge of colour returning
to Jack's cheeks. Presently his eyes quivered, and heaving a short, broken
sigh, he looked up.

"Where am I, eh? Why, what's wrong? what has happened?" he asked faintly,
in a tone of surprise.

"All right, old boy. Here, take a swig of this, you abominable gorilla,"
said Peterkin, holding the brandy-flask to his mouth, while one or two
tears of joy rolled down his cheeks.

Jack drank, and rallied a little.

"I've been ill, I see," he said gently. "Ah! I remember now. I've been
hurt ---the rhinoceros; eh, have you killed it? I gave it a good shot.
It must have been mortal, I think."

"Whether you've killed it or not I cannot tell," said I, taking off
my coat and putting it under Jack's head for a pillow, "but it has pretty
nearly killed you. Do you feel worse, Jack?"

I asked this in some alarm, observing that he had turned deadly pale
again.

"He's fainted, man; out o' the way!" cried Peterkin, as he applied the
brandy again to his lips and temples.

In a few seconds Jack again rallied.

"Now, Mak, bestir yourself," cried Peterkin, throwing off his coat.
"Cut down two stout poles, and we'll make some sort of litter to carry
him on."

"I say, Ralph," whispered Jack faintly, "do look to my wounds and see
that they are all tightly bound up. I can't afford to lose another drop
of blood. It's almost all drained away, I believe."

While I examined my friend's wounds and readjusted the bandages, my
companions cut down two poles. These we laid on the ground parallel to
each other and about two feet apart, and across them laid our three coats,
which we fastened in a rough fashion by means of some strong cords which
I fortunately happened to have with me. On this rude litter we laid our
companion, and raised him on our shoulders. Peterkin and I walked in rear,
each supporting one of the poles; while Makarooroo, being the stoutest
of the three, supported the entire weight of the other ends on his broad
shoulders. Jack bore the moving better than we had expected, so that we
entertained sanguine hopes that no bones were broken, but that loss of
blood was all he had to suffer from.

Thus slowly and with much difficulty we bore our wounded comrade to
the camp.

It happened most fortunately at this time that we were within a short day's
journey of a native village, to which, after mature consideration, we determined
to convey Jack, and remain there until he should be sufficiently recovered
to permit of our resuming our journey. Hitherto we had studiously avoided
the villages that lay in our route, feeling indisposed to encounter unnecessarily
the risk of being inhospitably received ---perhaps even robbed of our goods,
if nothing worse should befall us. There was, however, no other alternative
now; for Jack's wounds were very severe, and the amount of blood lost by
him was so great that he was as weak as a child. Happily, no bones were
broken, so we felt sanguine that by careful nursing for a few weeks we
should get him set firmly upon his legs again.

On the following morning we set forth on our journey, and towards evening
reached the village, which was situated on the banks of a small stream,
in the midst of a beautiful country composed of mingled plain and woodland.

It chanced that the chief of this village was connected by marriage
with King Jambai ---a most fortunate circumstance for us, as it ensured
our being hospitably received. The chief came out to meet us riding on
the shoulders of a slave, who, although a much smaller man than his master,
seemed to support his load with much case. Probably habit had strengthened
him for his special work. A large hut was set apart for our accommodation;
a dish of yams, a roast monkey, and a couple of fowls were sent to us soon
after our arrival, and, in short, we experienced the kindest possible reception.

None of the natives of this village had ever seen a white face in their
lives, and, as may well be imagined, their curiosity and amazement were
unbounded. The people came constantly crowding round our hut, remaining,
however, at a respectful distance, and gazed at us until I began to fear
they would never go away.

Here we remained for three weeks, during which time Jack's wounds healed
up, and his strength returned rapidly. Peterkin and I employed ourselves
in alternately tending our comrade, and in scouring the neighbouring woods
and plains in search of wild animals.

As we were now approaching the country of the gorilla ---although, indeed,
it was still far distant ---our minds began to run more upon that terrible
creature than used to be the case; and our desire to fall in with it was
increased by the strange accounts of its habits and its tremendous power
that we received from the natives of this village, some of whom had crossed
the desert and actually met with the gorilla face to face. More than once,
while out hunting, I have been so taken up with this subject that I have
been on the point of shooting a native who appeared unexpectedly before
me, under the impression that he was a specimen of the animal on which
my thoughts had been fixed.

One day about a week after our arrival, as I was sitting at the side
of Jack's couch relating to him the incidents of a hunt after a buffalo
that Makarooroo and I had had the day before, Peterkin entered with a swaggering
gait, and setting his rifle down in a corner, flung himself on the pile
of skins that formed his couch.

"I'll tell you what it is," said he, with the look and tone of a man
who feels that he has been unwarrantably misled ---"I don't believe there's
such a beast as a gorilla at all; now, that's a fact."

There was something so confident and emphatic in my comrade's manner
that, despite my well-grounded belief on that point, I felt a sinking at
the heart. The bare possibility that, after all our trouble and toil and
suffering in penetrating thus far towards the land which he is said to
inhabit, we should find that there really existed no such creature as the
gorilla was too terrible to think upon.

"Peterkin," said I anxiously, "what do you mean?"

"I mean," replied he slowly, "that Jack is the only living specimen
of the gorilla in Africa."

"Come, now, I see you are jesting."

"Am I?" cried Peterkin savagely ---"jesting, eh? That means expressing
thoughts and opinions which are not to be understood literally. Oh, I would
that I were sure that I am jesting! Ralph, it's my belief, I tell you,
that the gorilla is a regular sell ---a great, big, unnatural hairy
do!"

"But I saw the skeleton of one in London."

"I don't care for that. You may have been deceived, humbugged. Perhaps
it was a compound of the bones of a buffalo and a chimpanzee."

"Nay, that were impossible," said I quickly; "for no one pretending
to have any knowledge of natural history and comparative anatomy could
be so grossly deceived."

"What like was the skeleton, Ralph?" inquired Jack, who seemed to be
rather amused by our conversation.

"It was nearly as tall as that of a medium-sized man ---I should think
about five feet seven or eight inches; but the amazing part about it was
the immense size and thickness of its bones. Its shoulders were much broader
than yours, Jack, and your chest is a mere child's compared with that of
the specimen of the gorilla that I saw. Its legs were very short ---much
shorter than those of a man; but its arms were tremendous ---they were
more than a foot longer than yours. In fact, if the brute's legs were in
the same proportion to its body as are those of a man, it would be a giant
of ten or eleven feet high. Or, to take another view of it, if you were
to take a robust and properly proportioned giant of that height, and cut
down his legs until he stood about the height of an ordinary man, that
would be a gorilla."

"I don't believe it," cried Peterkin.

"Well, perhaps my simile is not quite so felicitous as ---"

"I don't mean that," interrupted Peterkin; "I mean that I don't believe
there's such a brute as a gorilla at all."

"Why, what has made you so sceptical?" inquired Jack.

"The nonsense that these niggers have been telling me, through the medium
of Mak as an interpreter; that is what has made me sceptical. Only think,
they say that a gorilla is so strong that he can lift a man by the nape
of the neck clean off the ground with one of his hind feet! Yes, they say
he is in the habit of sitting on the lower branches of trees in lonely
dark parts of the wood watching for prey, and when a native chances to
pass by close enough he puts down his hind foot, seizes the wretched man
therewith, lifts him up into the tree, and quietly throttles him. They
don't add whether or not he eats him afterwards, or whether he prefers
him boiled or roasted. Now, I don't believe that."

"Neither do I," returned Jack; "nevertheless the fact that these fellows
recount such wonderful stories at all, is, to some extent, evidence in
favour of their existence: for in such a country as this, where so many
wonderful and horrible animals exist, men are not naturally tempted to
invent new creatures; it is sufficient to satisfy their craving
for the marvellous that they should merely exaggerate what does already
exist."

"Go to, you sophist! if what you say be true, and the gorilla turns
out to be only an exaggerated chimpanzee or ring-tailed roarer, does not
that come to the same thing as saying that there is no gorilla at all ---always,
of course, excepting yourself?"

"Credit yourself with a punched head," said Jack, "and the account shall
be balanced when I am sufficiently recovered to pay you off. Meanwhile,
continue your account of what the niggers say about the gorilla."

Peterkin assumed a look of offended dignity as he replied, ---

"Without deigning any rejoinder to the utterly absurd and totally irrelevant
matter contained in the preliminary sentences of your last remark, I pass
on to observe that the natives of these wilds hold the opinion that there
is one species of the gorilla which is the residence of the spirits of
defunct niggers, and that these fellows are known by their unusual size
and ferocity."

"Hold," cried I, "until I get out my note-book. Now, Peterkin, no fibs."

"Honour bright," said he, "I'll give it you just as I got it. These
possessed
brutes are never caught, and can't be killed. (I only hope I may get the
chance to try whether that be true or not.) They often carry off natives
into the woods, where they pull out their toe and finger nails by the roots
and then let them go; and they are said to be uncommonly fond of sugar-cane,
which they steal from the fields of the natives sometimes in a very daring
manner."

"Is that all?" said I.

"All!" exclaimed my comrade. "How much more would you have? Do you suppose
that the gorilla can do anything it likes ---hang by its tail from the
moon, or sit down on its nose and run round on its chin?"

"Massa Jack," said Makarooroo, entering the hut and interrupting our
conversation at this point, "de chief hims tell to me for to tell to you
dat w'en you's be fit for go-hid agin hims gib you cottle for sit upon."

"Cottle, Mak! what's cottle?" inquired Jack, with a puzzled look.

"Ho, massa, you know bery well; jist cottle ---hoxes, you know."

"Indeed, I don't know," replied Jack, still more puzzled.

"I've no doubt," interposed Peterkin, "that he means cuttle, which is
the short name for cuttle-fish, which, in such an inland place as this,
must of course be hoaxes! But what do you mean, Mak? Describe the thing
to us."

Mak scratched his woolly pate, as if he were quite unable to explain
himself.

"O massas, you be most stoopid dis yer day. Cottle not a ting; hims
am a beast, wid two horn an' one tail. Dere," said he, pointing with animation
to a herd of cattle that grazed near our hut, "dat's cottle, or hoxes."

We all laughed at this proposal.

"What!" cried Jack, "does he mean us to ride upon 'hoxes' as if they
were horses?"

"Yis, massa, hims say dat. Hims hear long ago ob one missionary as hab
do dat; so de chief he tink it bery good idea, an' hims try too, an' like
it bery much; only hims fell off ebery tree steps an' a'most broke all
de bones in him's body down to powder. But hims git up agin and fell hoff
agin. Oh, hims like it bery much!"

"If we follow the chief's example," said I, laughing, "we shall scarcely
be in a fit state to hunt gorillas at the end of our journey; but now I
come to think of it, the plan seems to me not a bad one. You know a great
part of our journey now lies over a comparatively desert country, where
we shall be none the worse of a ride now and then on ox-back to relieve
our limbs. I think the proposal merits consideration."

"Right, Ralph," said Jack. ---"Go, Mak, and tell his majesty, or chieftainship,
or his royal highness, with my compliments, that I am much obliged by the
offer, and will consider it. Also give him this plug of tobacco; and see
you don't curtail its dimensions before it leaves your hand, you rascal."

Our guide grinned as he left the hut to execute his mission, and we
turned to converse on this new plan, which, the more we thought of it,
seemed the more to grow in our estimation as most feasible.

"Now, lads, leave me," said Jack, with a sigh, after we had chatted
for more than an hour. "If I am to go through all that our worthy host
seems to have suffered, it behoves me to get my frame into a fit state
to stand it. I shall therefore try to sleep."

So saying he turned round on his side, and we left him to his slumbers.

As it was still early in the afternoon, we two shouldered our rifles
and strolled away into the woods, partly with the intention of taking a
shot at anything that might chance to come in our way, but chiefly with
the view of having a pleasant chat about our prospect of speedily reaching
that goal of our ambition ---the gorilla country.

"It seems to me," observed Peterkin, as we walked side by side over
an open grassy and flower-speckled plain that lay about a couple of miles
distant from the village ---"it seems to me that we shall never
reach this far-famed country."

"I have no doubt that we shall," said I; "but tell me, Peterkin, do
you really doubt the existence of the gorilla?"

"Well, since you do put it to me so very seriously, I can scarce tell
what I believe. The fact is, that I'm such a sceptical wretch by nature
that I find it difficult to believe anything unless I see it."

I endeavoured to combat this very absurd state of mind in my companion
by pointing out to him very clearly that if he were to act upon such a
principle at all times, he would certainly disbelieve many of the commonest
facts in nature, and give full credit, on the other hand, to the most outrageous
absurdities.

"For instance," said I, "you would believe that every conjurer swallows
fire, and smoke, and penknives, and rabbits, because you see him
do it; and you would disbelieve the existence of the pyramids, because
you don't happen to have seen them."

I was about to make some reply, when my attention was attracted by a
very singular appearance of moisture at the foot of a fig-tree under which
we were passing. Going up to it I found that there was a small puddle of
clear water near the trunk. This occasioned me much surprise, for no rain
had fallen in that district since our arrival, and probably there had been
none for a long period before that. The ground everywhere, except in the
large rivers and water-courses, was quite dry, insomuch that, as I have
said, this little solitary pool (which was not much larger than my hand)
occasioned us much surprise.

"How comes it there?" said I.

"That's more than I can tell," replied Peterkin. "Perhaps there's a
small spring at the root of the tree."

"Perhaps there is," said I, searching carefully round the spot in all
directions; but I found nothing to indicate the presence of a spring ---and,
indeed, when I came to think of it, if there had been a spring there would
also certainly have been a water-course leading from it. But such was not
the case. Presently I observed a drop of water fall into the pool, and
looking up, discovered that it fell from a cluster of insects that clung
to a branch close over our heads.

I at once recognised this water-distilling insect as an old acquaintance.
I had seen it before in England, although of a considerably smaller size
than this African one. My companion also seemed to be acquainted with it,
for he exclaimed, ---

"Ho! I know the fellow. He's what we used at home to call a 'frog-hopper'
after he got his wings, and a 'cuckoo-spit' before that time; but these
ones are six times the size of ours."

I was aware that there was some doubt among naturalists as to whence
these insects procured the water they distilled. My own opinion, founded
on observations made at this time, led me to think the greater part of
the moisture is derived from the atmosphere, though, possibly, some of
it may be procured by suction from the trees. I afterwards paid several
visits to this tree, and found, by placing a vessel beneath them, that
these insects distilled during a single night as much as three or four
pints of water!

Turning from this interesting discovery, we were about to continue our
walk, when we observed a buffalo bull feeding in the open plain, not more
than five or six hundred yards off from us.

"Ha! Ralph, my boy," cried Peterkin enthusiastically, "here is metal
more attractive! Follow me; we must make a detour in order to get to leeward
of him."

We set off at a brisk pace, and I freely confess that, although the
contemplation of the curious processes of the water-distilling insect afforded
me deeper and more lasting enjoyment, the gush of excitement and eagerness
that instantly followed the discovery of the wild buffalo bull enabled
me thoroughly to understand the feeling that leads men ---especially the
less contemplative among them ---infinitely to prefer the pleasures of
the chase to the calmer joys attendant upon the study of natural history.

At a later period that evening I had a discussion with my companions
on that subject, when I stood up for the pursuit of scientific knowledge
as being truly elevating and noble, while the pursuit of game was, to say
the least of it, a species of pleasure more suited to the tastes and condition
of the savage than of the civilised man.

To this Peterkin replied ---having made a preliminary statement to the
effect that I was a humbug ---that a man's pluck was brought out and his
nerves improved by the noble art of hunting, which was beautifully scientific
in its details, and which had the effect of causing a man to act like a
man and look like a man ---not like a woman or a nincompoop, as was too
often the case with scientific men.

Hereupon Jack announced it as his opinion that we were both wrong and
both right; which elicited a cry of "Bravo!" from Peterkin. "For," said
Jack, "what would the naturalist do without the hunter? His museums would
be almost empty and his knowledge would be extremely limited. On the other
hand, if there were no naturalists, the hunter ---instead of being the
hero who dares every imaginable species of danger, in order to procure
specimens and furnish information that will add to the sum of human knowledge
---would degenerate into the mere butcher, who supplies himself and his
men with meat; or into the semi-murderer, who delights in shedding the
blood of inferior animals. The fact is, that the naturalist and the hunter
are indispensably necessary to each other ---'both are best,' to use an
old expression; and when both are combined in one, as in the case of the
great American ornithologist Audubon, that is best of all."

"Betterer than both," suggested Peterkin.

But to return from this digression.

In less than quarter of an hour we gained a position well to leeward
of the buffalo, which grazed quietly near the edge of the bushes, little
dreaming of the enemies who were so cautiously approaching to work its
destruction.

"Keep well in rear of me, Ralph," said Peterkin, as we halted behind
a bush to examine our rifles. "I'll creep as near to him as I can, and
if by any chance I should not kill him at the first shot, do you run up
and hand me your gun."

Without waiting for a reply, my companion threw himself on his breast,
and began to creep over the plain like a snake in the grass. He did this
so well and so patiently that he reached to within forty yards of the bull
without being discovered. Then he ceased to advance, and I saw his head
and shoulders slowly emerge from among the grass, and presently his rifle
appeared, and was slowly levelled. It was one of our large-bore single-barrelled
rifles.

He lay in this position for at least two minutes, which seemed to me
a quarter of an hour, so eager was I to see the creature fall. Suddenly
I heard a sharp snap or crack. The bull heard it too, for it raised its
huge head with a start. The cap of Peterkin's rifle had snapped, and I
saw by his motions that he was endeavouring, with as little motion as possible,
to replace it with another. But the bull caught sight of him, and uttering
a terrific roar charged in an instant.

It is all very well for those who dwell at home in security to think
they know what the charge of an infuriated buffalo bull is. Did they see
it in reality, as I saw it at that time, tearing madly over the grass,
foaming at the mouth, flashing at the eyes, tossing its tail, and bellowing
hideously, they would have a very different idea from what they now have
of the trials to which hunters' nerves are frequently exposed.

Peterkin had not time to cap. He leaped up, turned round, and ran for
the woods at the top of his speed; but the bull was upon him in an instant.
Almost before I had time to realise what was occurring, I beheld my companion
tossed high into the air. He turned a distinct somersault, and fell with
a fearful crash into the centre of a small bush. I cannot recall my thoughts
on witnessing this. I remember only experiencing a sharp pang of horror
and feeling that Peterkin must certainly have been killed. But whatever
my thoughts were they must have been rapid, for the time allowed me was
short, as the bull turned sharp round after tossing Peterkin and rushed
again towards the bush, evidently with the intention of completing the
work of destruction.

Once again I experienced that strange and sudden change of feeling to
which I have before referred. I felt a bounding sensation in my breast
which tingled to my finger-ends. At the same time my head became clear
and cool. I felt that Providence had placed the life of my friend in my
hands. Darting forward in advance of the bush, I awaited the charge of
the infuriated animal. On it came. I knew that I was not a sufficiently
good shot to make sure of hitting it in the brain. I therefore allowed
it to come within a yard of me, and then sprang lightly to one side. As
it flew past, I never thought of taking aim or putting the piece to my
shoulder, but I thrust the muzzle against its side and pulled both triggers
at once.

From that moment consciousness forsook me, and I knew not what had occurred
for some minutes after. The first object that met my confused vision when
I again opened my eyes was Peterkin, who was seated close beside me on
the body of the dead buffalo, examining some bloody scratches on the calf
of his left leg. He had evidently been attempting to restore me to consciousness,
for I observed that a wet handkerchief lay on my forehead. He muttered
to himself as he examined his wounds, ---

"This comes of not looking to one's caps. Humph! I do believe that every
bone in my body is ---ah! here's another cut, two inches at least, and
into the bone of course, to judge from the flow of blood. I wonder how
much blood I can afford to lose without being floored altogether. Such
a country! I wonder how high I went. I felt as if I'd got above the moon.
Hollo, Ralph! better?"

I sat up as he said this, and looked at him earnestly.

"My dear Peterkin, then you're not killed after all."

"Not quite, but pretty near. If it had not been for that friendly bush
I should have fared worse. It broke my fall completely, and I really believe
that my worst hurts are a few scratches. But how are you, Ralph?
Yours was a much more severe case than mine. You should hold your gun tighter,
man, when you fire without putting it to your shoulder."

"How? why? what do you mean?"

"Simply this, that in consequence of your reckless manner of holding
your rifle, it came back with such a slap on your chest that it floored
you."

"This, then, accounts for the pain I feel in it. But come," said I,
rising and shaking my limbs to make sure that no bones were broken; "we
have reason to be very thankful we have escaped so easily. I made sure
that you were killed when I saw you flying through the air."

"I always had a species of cat-luck about me," replied Peterkin, with
a smile. "But now let us cut off a bit o' this fellow to take back with
us for Jack's supper."

With some difficulty we succeeded in cutting out the buffalo's tongue
by the root, and carried it back to the village, where, after displaying
it as an evidence of our prowess, we had it cooked for supper.

The slight hurts that we had received at the time of this adventure
were speedily cured, and about two weeks after that we were all well enough
to resume our journey.

Our first start from the village where we had been entertained so hospitably
and so long was productive of much amusement to ourselves and to the natives.

We had determined to accept of three oxen from the chief, and to ride
these when we felt fatigued; but we thought it best to let our native porters
carry our baggage on their shoulders, as they had hitherto done.

When the animals were led up to our hut, we could not refrain from laughing.
They were three sturdy-looking dark-skinned oxen, with wicked-looking black
eyes and very long horns.

"Now, Jack, do you get up first," said Peterkin, "and show us what we
are to expect."

"Nay, lad; I am still entitled to be considered an invalid: so you must
get up first, and not only so, but you must try them all, in order that
I may be enabled to select the quietest."

"Upon my word, you are becoming despotic in your sickness, and you forget
that it is but a short time since I came down from a journey to the sky,
and that my poor bones are still tender. But here goes. I was born to be
victimised, so I submit to the decrees of Fate."

Peterkin went up to one of the oxen and attempted to mount it; but the
animal made a demonstration of an intention to gore him, and obstinately
objected to this.

"Hold him tight, Mak," he cried, after several futile attempts to mount.
"I was always good at leap-frog when a schoolboy; see if I don't bring
my powers into play now."

So saying, he went behind the ox, took a short race and sprang with
the agility of a monkey over its tail on to its back! The ox began to kick
and sidle and plunge heavily on receiving this unexpected load; but its
rider held on well, until it took it into its head to dart under a neighbouring
tree, the lower branches of which swept him off and caused him to fall
with a heavy plump to the ground.

"I told you so," he cried, rising with a rueful face, and rubbing himself
as he limped forward. However, his pain was more than half affected, for
the next minute he was on the back of another ox. This one also proved
restive, but not so much so as the first. The third was a very quiet animal,
so Jack appropriated it as his charger.

Having bade adieu to the chief and rubbed noses with him and with several
of our friends in the village, we all three got upon our novel steeds and
set forth. But we had not got away from the village more than a mile when
the two restive oxen began to display a firm determination to get rid of
their intolerable burden. Mine commenced to back and sidle, and Peterkin's
made occasional darts forward, and then stopping suddenly, refused to budge
a step. We lost all patience at last, and belaboured them soundly with
twigs, the effect of which was to make them advance rather slowly, and
evidently under protest.

"Look out for branches," cried Peterkin as we came up to a narrow belt
of wood.

I had scarcely time to raise my head when I was swept off my seat and
hurled to the ground by a large branch. Peterkin's attention was drawn
to me, and his ox, as if aware of the fact, seized the opportunity to swerve
violently to one side, thereby throwing its rider off. Both animals gave
a bellow, as of triumph, erected their tails, and ran away. They were soon
recaptured, however, by our negroes; and mounting once more, we belaboured
them well and continued our journey. In course of time they became more
reconciled to their duties; but I cannot say that I ever came to enjoy
such riding, and all of us ultimately agreed that it was a most undesirable
thing to journey on ox-back.

Thus we commenced our journey over this desert or plain of Africa, and
at the end of many weeks found ourselves approaching that part of the country
near the equator in which the gorilla is said to dwell. On the way we had
many adventures, some of an amusing, some of a dangerous character, and
I made many additions to my collection of animals, besides making a number
of valuable and interesting notes in my journal; but all this I am constrained
to pass over, in order to introduce my reader to those regions in which
some of our most wonderful adventures occurred.

One or two things, however, I must not omit to mention.

In passing over the desert we suffered much from want of water. Frequently
the poor oxen had to travel two or three days without tasting a drop, and
their distress was so great that we more than once thought of turning them
adrift at the first good watering-place we should come to, and proceed,
as formerly, on foot; for we had all recovered our wonted vigour, and were
quite capable of standing the fatigues of the journey as well as our men.
But several times we had found the country destitute of game, and were
reduced to the point of starvation; so we continued to keep the oxen, lest
we should require them for food.

On one occasion we were wending our way slowly along the bed of what
in the rainy season would become a large river, but which was now so thoroughly
dry that we could not find even a small pool in which the oxen might slake
their thirst. They had been several days absolutely without a drop of water,
while we were reduced to a mouthful or two per man in the day. As we could
not exist much longer without the life-giving fluid, Jack dismounted, and
placing the load of one of the men on the ox's back, sent him off in advance
to look for water. We had that morning seen the footprints of several animals
which are so fond of water that they are never found at any great distance
from some spot where it may be found. We therefore felt certain of falling
in with it ere long.

About two hours afterwards our negro returned, saying that he had discovered
a pool of rain-water, and showing the marks of mud on his knees in confirmation
of the truth of what he said.

"Ask him if there's much of it, Mak," said Jack, as we crowded eagerly
round the man.

"Hims say there be great plenty ob it ---'nuff to tumble in."

Gladdened by this news we hastened forward. The oxen seemed to have
scented the water from afar, for they gradually became more animated, and
quickened their pace of their own accord, until they at last broke into
a run. Peterkin and I soon outstripped our party, and quite enjoyed the
gallop.

"There it is," cried my comrade joyfully, pointing to a gleaming pond
in a hollow of the plain not two hundred yards off.

"Hurrah!" I shouted, unable to repress my delight at the sight.

The oxen rushed madly forward, and we found that they were away with
us. No pulling at our rope-bridles had any effect on them. My companion,
foreseeing what would happen, leaped nimbly off just as he reached the
margin of the pond. I being unable to collect my thoughts for the emergency,
held on. My steed rushed into the water up to the neck, and stumbling as
he did so, threw me into the middle of the pond, out of which I scrambled
amidst the laughter of the whole party, who came up almost as soon as the
oxen, so eager were they to drink.

After appeasing our own thirst we stood looking at the oxen, and it
really did our hearts good to see the poor thirsty creatures enjoy themselves
so thoroughly. They stood sucking in the water as if they meant to drink
up the whole pond, half shutting their eyes, which became mild and amiable
in appearance under the influence of extreme satisfaction. Their sides,
which had been for the last two days in a state of collapse, began to swell,
and at last were distended to such an extent that they seemed as if ready
to burst. In point of fact the creatures were actually as full as they
could hold; and when at length they dragged themselves slowly, almost unwillingly,
out of the pool, any sudden jerk or motion caused some of the water to
run out of their mouths!

Some time after that we were compelled to part with our poor steeds,
in consequence of their being bitten by an insect which caused their death.

This destructive fly, which is called tsetse, is a perfect scourge in
some parts of Africa. Its bite is fatal to the horse, ox, and dog, yet,
strange to say, it is not so to man or to wild animals. It is not much
larger than the common house-fly, and sucks the blood in the same manner
as the mosquito, by means of a proboscis with which it punctures the skin.
When man is bitten by it, no more serious evil than slight itching of the
part follows. When the ox is bitten no serious effect follows at first,
but a few days afterwards a running takes place at the eyes and nose, swellings
appear under the jaw and on other parts of the body, emaciation quickly
follows, even although the animal may continue to graze, and after a long
illness, sometimes of many weeks, it dies in a state of extreme exhaustion.

The tsetse inhabits certain localities in great numbers, while other
places in the immediate neighbourhood are entirely free. Those natives,
therefore, who have herds of cattle avoid the dangerous regions most carefully;
yet, despite their utmost care, they sometimes come unexpectedly on the
habitat
of this poisonous fly, and lose the greater part of their cattle.

When our poor oxen were bitten and the fatal symptoms began to appear,
we knew that their fate was sealed; so we conducted them into a pleasant
valley on which we chanced to alight, where there was plenty of grass and
water, and there we left them to die.

Another incident occurred to us in this part of our journey which is
worthy of record.

One day Peterkin and I had started before our party with our rifles,
and had gone a considerable distance in advance of them, when we unexpectedly
came upon a band of natives who were travelling in an opposite direction.
Before coming up with their main body, we met with one of their warriors,
who came upon us suddenly in the midst of a wooded spot, and stood rooted
to the earth with fear and amazement; at which, indeed, we were not much
surprised, for as he had probably never seen white faces before, he must
have naturally taken us for ghosts or phantoms of some sort.

He was armed with shield and spear, but his frame was paralysed with
terror. He seemed to have no power to use his weapons. At first we also
stood in silent wonder, and returned his stare with interest; but after
a few seconds the comicality of the man's appearance tickled Peterkin so
much that he burst into a fit of laughter, which had the effect of increasing
the terror of the black warrior to such a degree that his teeth began to
chatter in his head. He actually grew livid in the face. I never beheld
a more ghastly countenance.

"I say, Ralph," observed my companion, after recovering his composure,
"we must try to show this fellow that we don't mean him any harm, else
he'll die of sheer fright."

Before I could reply, or any steps could be taken towards this end,
his party came up, and we suddenly found ourselves face to face with at
least a hundred men, all of whom were armed with spears or bows and arrows.
Behind them came a large troop of women and children. They were all nearly
naked, and I observed that they were blacker in the skin than most of the
negroes we had yet met with.

"Here's a pretty mess," said Peterkin, looking at me.

"What is to be done?" said I.

"If we were to fire at them, I'd lay a bet they'd run away like the
wind," replied my comrade; "but I can't bear to think of shedding human
blood if it can possibly be avoided."

While we spoke, the negroes, who stood about fifty yards distant from
us, were consulting with each other in eager voices, but never for a moment
taking their eyes off us.

"What say you to fire over their heads?" I suggested.

"Ready, present, then," cried Peterkin, with a recklessness of manner
that surprised me.

We threw forward our rifles, and discharged them simultaneously.

The effect was tremendous. The whole band-- men, women, and children
---uttered an overwhelming shriek, and turning round, fled in mad confusion
from the spot. Some of the warriors turned, however, ere they had gone
far, and sent a shower of spears at us, one of which went close past my
cheek.

"We have acted rashly, I fear," said I, as we each sought shelter behind
a tree.

No doubt the savages construed this act of ours into an admission that
we did not consider ourselves invulnerable, and plucked up courage accordingly,
for they began again to advance towards us, though with hesitation. I now
saw that we should be compelled to fight for our lives, and deeply regretted
my folly in advising Peterkin to fire over their heads; but happily, before
blood was drawn on either side, Makarooroo and Jack came running towards
us. The former shouted an explanation of who and what we were to our late
enemies, and in less than ten minutes we were mingling together in the
most amicable manner.

We found that these poor creatures were starving, having failed to procure
any provisions for some time past, and they were then on their way to another
region in search of game. We gave them as much of our provisions as we
could spare, besides a little tobacco, which afforded them inexpressible
delight. Then rubbing noses with the chief, we parted and went on our respective
ways.